I have an admission to make. I've never cooked with leeks before.

There. I've said it. I'm glad I was able to get that off of my chest.

Never once in my life have I been so moved as to pick up theses scallions on steroids. It wasn't until researching onions that I decided that it was time.

Of course, what better way to serve leeks than mix the leeks with melted cheese and serve it inside of a pastry? Heck, this is my approach to most foods, so why wouldn't it work with leeks?

This recipe passed the house test, meaning that all three members of my household (excluding the felines) thought that it was pretty darn tasty.

One note: This is one of those recipes where the better the dijon mustard, the better your tart will turn out. It's somewhat difficult to disguise cheap mustard.

• 3 cups sliced leeks (approx. 9 leeks)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup chopped red sweet pepper
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon thyme, minced
• 1 teaspoon parsely, minced
• 1 teaspoon basil, minced
• 1 1/2 cups Emmental cheese, shredded (swiss or Gruyere will also work)
• 1 12" pie crust, made from your favorite recipe
• 2 tablespoons milk
• Shredded Parmesan cheese, for garnishing

Cook leeks and garlic in hot oil in a large skillet until tender, between 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in sweet pepper, mustard, thyme, parsley, and basil. Stir in Emmental cheese, allowing it to melt a bit. Then set aside. Set aside.

Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees F.

Roll out your pie crust until it's a circle with 12" in diameter. Roll one pie crust into a 12-inch circle atop a baking sheet. Spoon half the leek mixture into the center of pie crust, leaving a 2-3 inch border. Fold a border up over the leeks leek mixture. Brush milk onto top and sides of the crust. Sprinkle any remaining herbs as well as the Parmesan cheese on top. Place in the oven and bake 25 to 30 minutes or until crusts are golden.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool 10 minutes.

Serves 8-10