Mussels

It has been unseasonably warm in Michigan lately; the temperature reached fifty degrees today, and it doesn't look like we'll have winter weather again for another week. To celebrate the weather and mourn the snow, I made one of my favorite light spring suppers, a mussel dish with leeks, fennel, tomatoes and white wine, adapted from Shelia Lukin's "Pacific Northwest Light Mussels" from The USA Cookbook.
Light may not be the right word - the mussels are steamed in a chunky sauce with plenty of fresh veggies. They are served with the veggies and steaming liquid, which are scooped up with chunks of crusty bread. Also, the cooking fat is a 1/2 cup of unsalted butter.

Here' s how to make them:

Estimate about 1 lb of mussels per person. While running the mussels under cold water, scrub them with a stiff brush and tear off their "beards." Remember that after the "beards" are gone, the mussels will die pretty quickly, so do this as close to cooking time as possible.

Melt 1/2 cup of unsalted butter over medium heat in a pan large enough to hold 4-lbs of mussels. Saute two minced garlic cloves and four minced shallots (or you could use a small onion) until the shallots are translucent and the garlic aromatic (about 4 minutes for me). Give the shallots and garlic a stir, then toss in 1 head of fennel, chopped in 1/2 -3/4 inch dice. Let cook two minutes or so, stir, and add two medium leeks, white and light green parts only, sliced in thin rounds. Let sit 2-3 minutes, stir, sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper, and continue to cook until the fennel is translucent, about 8 more minutes. Stir and add a large can of diced tomatoes with their juices. Turn up the heat a bit, add some salt, and cook for 10 minutes, allowing the tomatoes to break down. Stir occasionally. Add 1 glass of white wine and allow the liquid to come to a simmer. Add the mussels, and cover the pan. Steam the mussels for 6-8 minutes. Serve in bowls with plenty of cooking liquids, and a hunk of baguette to mop up vegetables and juice.

Here's hoping it gets colder soon . . .