Cheesy Leeks and Orzo

Let your leeks shine in this simple and quick side dish of orzo pasta, leeks, and cottage cheese. 

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After a busy AppetizerWeek last month where I really buffed up my appetizer section, I poked around on my recipe index by category (on the right side bar, not to be confused with the recipe index by ingredient up along the top) and thought that I ought to be sharing some more simple side dishes that I feed to my family, using the vegetables from our Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm share. Wow--that was a run on sentence. My apologies. The unrelenting cold numbs my fingers and brain. Perhaps after a week in Florida I'll be coherent? Gotta get through this week first.

Today's recipe came about because I wanted a side dish that would appeal to the whole family and my CSA farmers had grown a stupendous crop of fat and sassy leeks.  I generally wash, slice, spin dry, and freeze my leeks for use over the winter (in soups, stews, etc) but I like to use some fresh, too.

While leeks are usually supporting players in my dishes, I've seen gorgeous ways to showcase them like Kristy's Crispy Leeks.  I wanted a softer leek (my son had recently had his wisdom teeth out) and to let that nice mild flavor shine through.  We had this side with spicy salmon, but it would go equally well with chicken or pork.  Leftovers reheated well the next day.


For more recipes using leeks, please see my Leek Recipes Collection. It's part of the Visual Recipe Index by Ingredient, a resource for local seasonal eaters like myself who want to make the most of their farmer's efforts. I'm pinning all sorts of recipes to my Pinterest boards, follow me there. I'm sharing recipes and articles that catch my eye on my Facebook page, follow me there. For a carefully curated behind the scenes (complete with howling Basset hound) please follow my Instagram feed. Want to know How To Use This Blog?


NOTE: This recipe is not gluten free as written, because I used orzo that contained gluten. To adapt this recipe for a gluten free diet please substitute the gluten free orzo of your choice.

Check labels to confirm that your other ingredients are also gluten free. Good sources for determining gluten free products can be found here:
http://knowgluten.me/2012/03/31/other-names-for-gluten/
http://glutenfreedoctor.com/gluten-free/
http://www.celiac.com/categories/Safe-Gluten%252dFree-Food-List-%7B47%7D-Unsafe-Foods-%26amp%3B-Ingredients/

Cheesy Leeks and Orzo

Ingredients

• 1 cup orzo, prepared according to package directions
• 1 cup leeks, sliced into thin rounds, rinsed several times, and spun dry.
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• a pinch (1/4 teaspoon) salt
• 1 cup shredded Lake Country cheese (or cheddar)
• ¾ cup cottage cheese
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Sauté leeks in butter with a pinch of salt until softened. 
2. Toss leeks with cottage cheese and cooked orzo in a large bowl.  
3. Stir in shredded cheese until just blended.  
4. Taste and add freshly ground pepper or additional salt as you like (I add a good 10 grinds of pepper, plus more at the table).

This post is shared with Fresh Foods Wednesday and What's Cookin' Wednesday, Tasty Tuesdays, From the Farm Blog Hop, Clever Chicks Blog Hop, Tasty Tuesdays, Food on Friday