Clean the leeks very thoroughly. The best method to wash the leeks is to slit the leek from the top to the bottom without cutting it all the way through. Carefully separate the layers without taking the leek apart while doing it. Wash them under running water until all the dirt is removed. Cut most of the green part of the leeks (See blog post for suggestion on using the greens).

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius/ 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Chop the white parts of the leeks and some of the sturdier green parts into 3 cm/ 1.2 inches segments.

Heat the oil in a pot, add the leeks and ½ teaspoons salt, cover, and stew for about 6-7 minutes, stirring a couple of times in between.

In the meantime cut the tomatoes into wedges. I had smaller tomatoes, so I quartered each one of them.

Caramelize the sugar in a small pan. Add the sugar to the pan and let it get darker. When it is caramelized, add two tablespoons water and stir until all the sugar is dissolved.

Pour the sugar syrup into the pot with the leeks, add the tomato wedges, black olives, wine, bay leaf, ½ of the chopped parsley, lemon juice, and peppercorns. Adjust the taste with more salt and lemon juice, if necessary. Stir carefully and if your pot is not suitable for the oven, transfer the food into a small casserole dish.

Bake for about 30 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining chopped parsley and serve hot with bread as a main dish or with chicken/fish/ meat/ meatballs as a side dish. It can be served cold as well.