Last month, I made (and wrote about) a really tasty dish of quinoa, melted leeks and a poached egg. It sounded good when I first looked at the recipe, but was blown away by how it tasted all together - nutty, salty, buttery, rich but not heavy.  Fantastic. However, the melted leeks really stood out in the whole thing.  I wrote: 

These “melted leeks” – which are basically soft, caramelized, salty leeks – are a wonderful condiment all by themselves and would be good on other things, too, like pasta, roasted tomatoes, or even toast with cream cheese.  They would be excellent on top of salsa verde chicken, too.

If you're considering choosing leeks this week, maybe give this a try.  Here's the recipe:

Melted Leeks

2 c. sliced raw leeks (about 3 large leeks)
4 tbs butter
2 tbs water (more, if needed)
salt

Cut off and discard the root and the woody tops, slice the leeks in half lengthwise, then slice the white and light-green parts into half-rings about 1/4- to 1/8-inch thick. You should have about 2 cups.  

Rinse leek slices well in a bowl of running water. 

Melt 4 tbs butter in a heavy skillet over medium-low heat. Add leeks and a couple of tablespoons of water. 

Simmer slowly until leeks are tender and almost all water evaporates, adding more water if needed to further soften the leeks. Season well with salt.