Leeks

Mild and sweet, silky when cooked, leeks have only one downside: their cost. If you’re paying by the pound, make sure there is plenty of white on the stalk; you’ll trim off most of the green.

Preparing leeks: Rinse well; leeks usually contain sand between layers. The traditional process: Trim off the roots and any hard, dark-green leaves. Make a long vertical slit through the center of the leek, starting about 1 inch from the root end and cutting all the way to the green end. (Leaving the root end intact helps keep the leek from falling into pieces when you rinse it.) Rinse well, being sure to get the sand out from between the layers. The easy way, which works only if you don’t want the leeks whole: Trim, chop, and rinse in a salad spinner, as you would greens.

How to cook leeks: sauté, braise, roast, grill

When are they done? When soft, almost melting

Substitutes: onions, shallots, scallions