I truly love leeks, but then again I am a lover of all members of the allium genus. They are so pretty, and mildly-oniony, and they have so much structure - they don't just melt in the pan the way onions do. Which can be frustrating at times, but I think it says a lot about their character. The most famous leek dish is probably Potato Leek Soup, of which there are many variations and techniques. This is definitely a favorite soup of mine. The following is perhaps a lesser known recipe. Oh, and they are also wonderful with eggs, of course, or perhaps in a tart of some sort.
Braised Leeks adapted from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison
Salt and pepper
a small onion, minced
a few sprigs of parsley
2 carrots, thinly sliced
1 celery rib, sliced
3-6 leeks, trimmed, halved and rinsed
butter or extra virgin olive oil
chopped herbs - marjoram, sage, tarragon, parsley, chervil or chives (any of these or a combination)
Bring 3 quarts water to a simmer in a deep skillet or Dutch oven with 2 teaspoons salt, the parsley sprigs, the onion, carrots and celery. Slip the leeks into the pan and cook gently until tender when pierced with a knife, 15-20 minutes. Lift them out and arrange them, cut side up, on a platter. Drizzle with oil or spread a bit of butter on the top, then cover with the herbs and season with salt and pepper. (The remaining cooking liquid makes and excellent broth for risotto and soupls.)
Then to take this one step further, she suggests making Gratineed Leeks. "You can set these delicious leeks up in advance of baking. Steam or braise eight to 12 small or 4-6 large leeks, then put them in a lightly buttered baking dish. Add 1/2 cup cream, season with salt and white pepper, and cover with 2 tbs freshly grated parmesan cheese. Bake at 400 degrees until bubbling and browned, about 15 minutes.
Asian Greens (Hon tsai tai) With Garlic Sauce
Adapted from the February issue of Saveur
Ingredients
1 bunch choy sum (aka Chinese flowering cabbage; alternatively, whole baby bok choy or rapini), ends trimmed, as necessary
1 tablespoon peanut oil (safflower oil is also good)
2 tablespoons garlic, roughly chopped (3-4 cloves)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon water
Method
Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Drop greens in water and blanch until just tender, about 1 minute. Drain greens and set aside on a serving plate or in a bowl.
Heat skillet or wok over medium-high heat and add oil. Add garlic and cook until lightly browned, 1-2 minutes. Add soy sauce and water; cook for 1 minute. Pour sauce over greens. KOD: A drizzle of sesame oil, just before serving, is lovely.
Delicata/Sugar Dumpling
OK, so the delicata is Farmer's second favorite squash, after something called Sunshine Kubocha. There are quite a few delicata recipes online, and if it's not in your cookbooks you can easily substitute it for acorn (or most other squash, actually.) However, the following three recipes are coming directly from my brain and are my three top favorite ways to cook it.
Delicata/Sugar Dumpling Slices in Coconut Oil from the brain of Farmer Alissa
1 or 2 small squash
a few tablespoons coconut oil
salt and pepper to taste
Slice squash in half and scoop out the seeds, then slice into 1/2 inch thick pieces. While preparing squash, warm coconut oil until melted. Pour coconut oil over squash, just enough so that the pieces are lightly coated. Spread out in a single layer on a cookie sheet and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees, turning once, if desired, to brown each side. NOTE: The skin of these squash is not only edible and nutritious but also tasty and delicious
Twice Baked Delicata/Sugar Dumpling from the brain of Farmer Alissa
1 or 2 small squash
some or all of the following: butter, sour cream, yogurt, cheese
salt and pepper
scallion or finely diced onion for garnish
Slice squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Bake in a 350 degree oven on a cookie sheet, skin side down for 20-30 minutes. Remove from oven and LET COOL. When squash is cool enough to handle scoop flesh into a bowl, being careful not to break the skin. Mix with your yummy ingredients of choice, season with salt and pepper and return to the shells. Bake for about 20 minutes, sprinkling the scallion on top. NOTE: The skin of these squash is not only edible and nutritious but also tasty and delicious
Delicata/Sugar Dumpling Squash with Garlic and Bacon from the brain of Farmer Alissa
1 or 2 small squash
a few strips of bacon
a few cloves of garlic, minced or crushed
parmesan cheese (optional)
Slice the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Bake in a 350 degree oven on a cookie sheet, skin side down, for 20 or 30 minutes. Meanwhile, fry up some bacon. When the bacon is done cooking, removed from the pan and chop into tiny piece. If you so choose, leave some of that fat in the pan and saute up your garlic. Or just saute the garlic in olive oil, if you feel guilty about too much bacon fat and you don't mind dirtying another pan.
When the squash is cooked, remove from oven and let cool a bit. Then scrape the flesh out of the skin into a bowl and mix with the garlic and bacon. Transfer mixture to an oven safe dish and return to the oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, or until hot. Grate some parmesan over top if desired.
This recipe combines squash with sage - another box item - which is a wonderfully fall-esque combo.
Delicata squash with rosemary, sage, and cider glaze
Epicurious | March 2000 From THE HERBFARM COOKBOOK by Jerry Traunfeld.
Makes 6 servings.
2 medium delicata squash (about 2 pounds) or other firm winter squash
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup very coarsely chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh rosemary
1 1/2 cups fresh unfiltered apple cider or juice
1 cup water
2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1. Squash. If using delicata squash, peel it with a vegetable peeler, cut it lengthwise in half, and scrape out the seeds with a spoon. Cut each piece lengthwise in half again, then crosswise into 1/2-inch -thick slices. Other types of squash should be peeled with a chef's knife, seeded, cut into 1-inch wedges, then sliced 1/2-inch thick.
2. Herb Butter. Melt the butter in a large (12-inch) skillet over low heat. Add the sage and rosemary and cook, stirring, until the butter just begins to turn golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Do not brown the herbs. Cooking the herbs in butter mellows their flavor and improves their texture.
3. Cooking the squash. Add the squash to the skillet, then the apple cider, water, vinegar, and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat at an even boil until the cider has boiled down to a glaze and the squash is tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Taste and season with pepper, and additional salt if needed.
Wellspring CSA newsletter. Just a little head's up that for the next three weeks Libby, Anna and Ben will each take a turn guest-writing the newsletter. I'd like for them all to get the experience of communicating directly with you all and filling you in on the farm haps, as well as giving myself a break so I can come back refreshed and full of new newsletter ideas to finish out the season. 
Don't forget to sign up for KC Thorson's (of KC's Cafe) latest cooking class, 
