Yummy, I like all your ideas for leeks – my husband\’s favourite vegetable. I\’m going to try the sformato soon – I haven\’t had it since I worked in Italy, before I had children, but I remember loving it at the trattoria in Montepulciano, where we ate regularly.

Your barzottini sound delicious too and I\’ve got some puff pastry stashed in the freezer. I don\’t have pecorino here in South Africa sadly, would parmesan work too?

Up on the right hand corner is a search box that can lead you to other leek possibilities. Leek or porri are the two good terms. I worked with leeks a whole winter and came up with several good things. There’s another sformato/casserole using potatoes instead of bread, which I like as well as this one. I’ve pretty much decided that leeks are necessary for a great chicken soup — much better than onion.

Parmesan won’t work because it is too aged and dry. Look around for a sheep’s cheese that is moderately aged for most of these recipes. I don’t know if a goat’s cheese would do or not, because those are rarer here.

There may be cow’s cheeses of the right consistency, too. What you want is something that can melt, has a lively flavor but not a really distinctive fattiness, like cheddar has.

I might even experiment with a mild blue cheese for the Barzottini. I’ve some recipes that use blue cheeses with leeks and they’re good. Or Feta would be worth a whirl, although I don’t know if it will be as nice.

i cannot wait to try these on my unsuspecting company later this month!! my mouth is watering, even though i just ate lunch…

I hope not in all one really cheesy meal!

Hi!

Thanks for the help! All those recipes sound very yummy! I’ll have to think and do a lot of brainstoming for the autumn themed dinner party…

Cheers,

Rosa

Jessica just reported on roasted butternut squash, too. Good idea. I am into greens right now, as they are better in cool weather. And of course broccoli which isn’t sold here from May until October.