Every time I go to the market these days, I’m torn. On the one hand, you can still get late summer tomatoes, courgettes and peppers, but on the other hand, I just want to eat sausage and mash! I blame the cold weather.

I gave in this week and bought a big bag of potatoes (for fishcakes), a cauliflower (for fritters) and leeks. I made this when I got in, inspired by a recipe in the Abel & Cole Cookbook, it’s kind of like extra special cheese on toast, great for a snack or light lunch.

Sharp and salty goat’s cheese goes so well with the sweet leeks; it’s a combination worth considering for risotto, pasta or a tart. The key is to sweat the leeks slooowly, preferably in butter, for a good 15 minutes. You want them to be completely soft and sweet, without even a hint of brown, otherwise they can become bitter.

Ingredients

splash olive oil, or knob of butter
2 large leeks, washed, finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
100g mild goats cheese
heaped tsp wholegrain mustard
Sprinkle chopped parsley, if you have it
4 slices bread

• Heat the oil in a frying pan and sweat the leeks and garlic over a gentle heat for about 15 minutes, or until completely soft.
• Meanwhile toast your bread
• Stir in the goats cheese, mustard and parsley and season.
• Spoon the leeks onto the toast and pop under the grill for a couple of minutes, or until golden.

Tags: goats cheese, leek

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