Tricolor Salad of Endive, Beet, and Arugula

Serves 4

2 beets (can substitute golden or chioga)1/2 cup roughly chopped pistachios (can substitute almonds or hazelnuts)

2 yellow endive
4 cups arugula
1/2 cup shaved Parmesan
Vinaigrette:
1/2 cup white wine vinegar (can substitute white balsamic or champagne)
1 1/4 cups light pure olive oil
1 minced, medium shallot
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pinch white sugar
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Place washed, but not trimmed or peeled beets on top of 1 cup salt on a baking sheet, and roast in a 350 degrees F oven for 1 1/2 hours, or until fork-tender. Let cool. Wearing gloves or holding with a piece of plastic wrap, cut off stems, and peel. Cut each beet in half, cut in 1/2 inch slices, then medium dice by cutting in the opposite direction. Toast nuts in a 400 degrees F oven for 15 minutes, tossing once. Combine all of the vinaigrette ingredients, mixing well, adding nuts when cool. Trim the end of the endive, cut in half, separating the leaves for each half, but reforming each as 1/2 a head of endive. For each salad, place 1/2 cup beets, 1 cup arugula, an 1/2 endive on a plate. For each salad begin with 1/3 cup vinaigrette, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Toss each of the three components, separately in the vinaigrette, making sure to toss the beets last. Top with 1/8 cup of shaved parmesan. Repeat for remaining three salads. Serve immediately. Reserve left-over dressing.

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Roasted Potatoes and Beets with Balsamic Glaze

Serves 6

4 red beets, cut into chunks
2 potatoes, cut into chunks
1 yellow onion, cut into chunks
3-4 cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon rosemary, chopped
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
½ cup olive oil
Salt & Pepper
Toss beets, potatoes, onion, & garlic with olive oil, balsamic, rosemary, salt and pepper. Roast at 400 degrees for about 1 hour or until edges are crispy. Top with chopped fresh parsley.

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Roasted Green Beans with Beets, Feta, and Walnuts

2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed
1 pound fresh beets, trimmed, peeled, and cut into thin wedges
1/2 cup sliced shallots (4 medium)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup broken walnuts
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (2 ounces)
 Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. In a large roasting pan combine green beans, beets, and shallots. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper; toss to coat. Roast, uncovered, for 45 to 50 minutes or until beans and beets are tender, stirring once or twice and adding walnuts during the last 10 to 15 minutes of roasting. To serve, transfer roasted vegetables to a serving platter. Sprinkle with cheese.
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Roasted Beet and Potato Salad

1 lb small beets, scrubbed and tops and roots trimmed (maybe 10 beets?)
3 medium red potatoes, diced
2 T olive oil
1/2 cup Mediterranean yogurt
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill weed
salt and pepper (to taste)

Preheat oven to 425º. Place beets in a small baking dish. Cover tightly with foil. Toss diced potatoes with olive oil, and place on a baking sheet. Place both potatoes and beets in the oven. Roast the potatoes for approximately 25-30 minutes, or until browned and tender. Roast beets for about 1 1/4 hours, or until a knife slides through them easily. Allow beets to sit until cool enough to handle. Peel away skins, and dice into quarters. Toss potatoes and beets with yogurt and dill. Season with salt and pepper. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

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Beet and Cucumber Salad

Serves 6
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 cucumber, cut into bite-size pieces
2 hard-boiled eggs, cut into bite-size pieces
3 cups diced cooked beets
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 hard-boiled egg, sliced
1 tablespoon finely chopped dill
Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Mix water, vinegar, and sugar together in a bowl; add onion and cucumber. Set aside to marinate, at least 20 minutes. Combine 2 hard-boiled eggs cut into bite-size pieces and beets together in a bowl. Drain liquid from onion and cucumbers. Toss onion and cucumbers with beet mixture. Stir mayonnaise into beet mixture. Arrange sliced hard-boiled egg atop salad; sprinkle with dill, salt, and pepper.

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Rosemary Turnip and Candy-Striped Beet Chips

4 or 5 turnips, peeled and thinly sliced
3 candy-striped beets, peeled and thinly sliced
2 Tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
Salt and pepper
Olive oil 

Preheat oven to 400. Wash, peel and thinly slice turnips and candy-striped beets. For quick results, use a cuisinart food processor with the slice-blade. Transfer onto a foil-lined cookie sheet. Lightly, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and rosemary. Toss together and arrange in a single layer. Put in the oven for about 15 minutes, then turn them over and let cook another 10-20 minutes, or until they have reached the desired crispiness. (ovens may have variable temperatures, so cook times may differ). 

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Roasted Beet and Summer Squash Salad with Figs, Chevre, Cucumber Relish and a Balsamic Reduction

Serves 4-6

2 beets
3 flying saucer squash
4 figs, halved
1 lemon cucumber
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
Chevre, or cheese of your choice
2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon lavender
olive oil for frying
salt and pepper to taste
ROASTED BEETS - Preheat oven to 450 F. Rinse beets, remove leaves, and wrap in foil. Place on a baking sheet and roast for an hour until the beets are tender through. Let cool until you can handle them. (Tip: wear gloves or place a plastic baggie over your hand to protect your fingers from getting stained.) Using a paring knife, peel the skin off the beets. It should come off easily. Slice into ¼ inch rounds. Set aside. FIGS & BALSAMIC REDUCTION - Heat a small saucepan to medium-high heat. Sear the fig halves, flat side down for a few minutes, just until the surface caramelizes a bit. Remove and set aside. In the same pan, lower the heat and add the balsamic vinegar and sugar. Let simmer until the sauce becomes thick and syrupy. Set aside. CUCUMBER RELISH - Cut the cucumber into a fine dice. You can leave the skin on if you’re using lemon cucumbers since their skin is softer than regular green cucumbers. Mix with rice vinegar, a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and set aside. FRIED SUMMER SQUASH - In a deep frying pan, heat 2 inches of oil to right below smoking point. I like the taste of olive oil (don’t use the expensive stuff), but you can use vegetable oil if you prefer. Prepare your assembly line: squash sliced into ¼ inch rounds, egg wash, dish filled with bread crumbs seasoned with lavender and a pinch of salt and pepper. I prefer panko because of its extra crunch, but you can use regular dried breadcrumbs as well. Dip each slice of squash into egg wash, then coat with breadcrumbs. To test the oil, drop a little piece of eggy breadcrumb into the pan. If it just sinks, the oil is not hot enough. If it burns quickly, the oil is too hot. If it starts to bubble right away and floats, it is just the right temperature and you’re now ready to start frying up your squash. Let the fried squash drain on a plate lined with paper towels. Sprinkle with a little salt while they’re still hot. Set aside. CHEESE - You can use any cheese you’d like, however, fresh goat cheese and beets are a traditional pairing. If you’re like me though, and have an aversion to goat cheese (I know, one of my great downfalls as a foodie, I disappoint myself in this respect time after time), try a gooey burrata, or Cowgirl Creamery’s buttery Mt. Tam, or a ricotta salata for something sharper and firmer. Now you’re ready to assemble and plate. Layer beets, cheese, squash, repeat, and top with the cucumber relish. Garnish with the figs and balsamic reduction. Enjoy!
 
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Roasted Beet and Radish Salad with Pistachios, Smoked Trout, & Creamy Dill Vinaigrette

8 oz mixed baby lettuces, washed and spun dry
1 bunch radishes, washed and sliced thin
2-3 spring onions, sliced thin
4-6 beets, roasted, peeled and cut into quarers
4 Tbs. pistachios, toasted
1/4 c. white wine vinegar
3/4 c. olive oil
2 Tbs. minced dill
3 Tbs. creme fraiche or Mexican crema
1 smoked trout, removed from skin & bones, flaked
Place vinegar in a small bowl and slowly drizzle in olive oil, whisking constantly. Season with salt and pepper and whisk in dill. Toss lettuces with vinaigrette, reserving 1/3 in bowl. Arrange greens on serving bowls and place beets, onion and radishes on top. Whisk creme fraiche or crema into remaining vinaigrette and place a dollop on top of each salad. Top with smoked trout and pistachios and serve.

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Michele's Amazing Apple, Beet, and Arugula Salad

Serves 6

3 large beets (or 6 small beets)
3 medium granny smith apples, peeled cored and chopped small
3/4 cup chopped raw pecans
3 1/2 packed cups of baby arugula, lightly chopped
1/2 medium orange, juiced and zested
2 Tbsp. olive oil  plus more for baking beets
1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1-2 Tbsp. raw honey, melted
Sea salt (to taste)
Ground black pepper (to taste)
Preheat oven to 400F. Wash and dry beets, and trim off the leaves and root tip (leaving the skin on). Drizzle a little olive oil over each beet and sprinkle each with a dash of sea salt. Wrap each beet individually in aluminum foil and place on a baking sheet. If using smaller beets bake for about 50 minutes, if using larger beets bake for about 90 minutes or until a fork can pierce the beet easily. Remove the beets from the oven and allow them to rest for about 10 minutes. Unwrap each beet and drain the excess beet juice into a small bowl and set aside. Chop the beets into small bite sized pieces and place in a large mixing bowl. Fill the bottom of a medium sized saucepan with water and place a steamer basket in it. Place over medium-high heat and bring the water to a bowl. Add the chopped apples, cover and steam for about 4-5 minutes or until apples are soft and tender. Drain and add the steamed apples to the bowl with the beets. Place your chopped pecans in a medium sized skillet over medium-high heat and cook until lightly toasted, stirring frequently. Set the pecans aside. 
To make the dressing, take the reserved beet juice and add the 2 Tbsp. of olive oil, apple cider vinegar, raw honey, orange juice and orange zest. Stir and add sea salt and black pepper to taste. Add additional orange juice or vinegar if you like. Pour the dressing over the beet mixture and toss to coat. Add the arugula and toasted pecans and toss again. Serve immediately or place in fridge until ready to serve.
NOTE: For those that eat dairy, a bit of blue cheese crumbles on the top of the salad is delicious. Frozen beets would work for this recipe as well. To freeze simply chop your roasted beets, let them cool to room temperature and freeze them in a resealable plastic bag or a freezer safe container. When you want to use them pull them out and set them on the counter to defrost; once defrosted they are ready to use.
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Roasted Beets and Red Chard Greens

4 servings
1 pound/450 g red Swiss chard, chopped into 2 inch pieces
1 bunch of beets, with greens
2 tablespoons/15 ml olive oil
1 shallot, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon/15 ml butter
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Wash the beets and greens, leaving the skins on. Remove the greens close to the roots, take off the stems and tear the beet greens into 2-inch pieces. Put aside. Drop the beets in salted boiling water and let simmer until tender, for 25 minutes. Drain the water and let them cool in cold water. Peel by rubbing them with a rag. Put aside. You can also use a peeler. When the beets are done, heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the shallot, garlic and beets and cook for 5 minutes. Add the red chard and the beet greens and cook for 1 minute, until the greens wilt. Add the butter and a little water and season with salt and pepper. Keep warm and serve with fried skate. 
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Pickled Cabbage with Beets and Carrots, aka Russian-style Kimchee

 

2 medium heads of cabbage, sliced
3 tablespoons salt
2 medium beets, peeled and thinly cut into sticks, or shredded
3 large carrots, peeled and shredded
4-6 garlic cloves, sliced
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
Mix together cabbage and salt in a large stainless steel pot or a food grade plastic container.  I admit, my pot wasn't big enough, so I made this in two batches and then combined together.  When you mix the cabbage with salt, the cabbage gives off juice and significantly decreases in volume. Stir in beets, carrots, garlic and pepper flakes. Weigh down the pickled vegetables.  I placed a plate on top of the vegetables and added a pot with water on top.  You could use canned goods or anything else that is heavy.  Leave the vegetables at room temperature for 6-7 days until vegetables pickle.  If you notice that the vegetables are dry, remove the weight and stir them together - there will be plenty of juice accumulated on the bottom of the pot.  Taste the vegetables on day 5 or so.  If there isn't enough salt, you can add another tablespoon then, as well as more red pepper flakes. Refrigerate the cabbage and beets until ready to use.  Eat as is or dressed with oil, chopped herbs and minced onion. I just might add more garlic and red pepper flakes next time.  Also, this time around I sliced the beets but would shred them next time.  What do you think?
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Heart Beet Salad

Heart Beet Salad

2 large beets
6 oz fresh goat cheese
1 blood orange, segmented
1 teaspoon cara cara orange zest
1 cara cara orange, segmented
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 handfuls arugula
1/4 cup toasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 F. Rinse the beets and trim off the greens (you can save them to sauté later if you want). Wrap in foil and roast until tender, about 1 hour. When they’re done you should be able to easily pierce the beets through with a knife. Remove from the oven, unwrap from foil, and let cool. When the beets are cool enough to handle, peel the skin off. Slice the beets into 1/4-inch slices. You should have at least 4 slices of beets per person. Cut out a heart shape from the beet slices using the cookie cutter. Pat the slices dry. Make the napoleon stacks by layering the beet heart slices and goat cheese until you have two beautiful stacks. Try to spread the goat cheese evenly. Clean up edges with a paper towel. (Do not assemble this too far ahead of time because if your beets are juicy, they will color the goat cheese pink as they sit.) Zest the cara cara oranges and set aside a teaspoon for the dressing. Segment both oranges. After segments are cut, squeeze the juice out of the leftover pulp. Reserve for dressing. Make dressing by whisking together orange juice, zest, red wine vinegar, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Dress the arugula and orange segments. Arrange around the beet heart napoleon. Scatter hazelnuts around.
Special Equipment: heart-shaped cookie cutter; be sure that your cookie cutter fits within the circumference of your beets

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Beet Hummus

Here's a recipe for beet hummus that I adapted it a bit - the original recipe link is at the bottom of the post. It turned out really good. Next time, I think I'll add a couple tablespoons of chopped cilantro in the last couple pulses of the food processor. Fresh mint would be nice, too.


Ingredients

* 1/2 pound beets (about 4 medium sized beets), scrubbed clean, cooked, peeled, and cubed*
* 4 Tbsp tahini sesame seed paste
* 2 Tbsp lemon juice
* 2 small cloves garlic, chopped
* 1 tsp ground cumin
* 1 Tbsp lemon zest (zest from approx. 2 lemons)
* Generous pinch of sea salt or Kosher salt
* Fresh ground pepper to taste

*To cook the beets - boil whole, scrubbed, unskinned beets (tops removed about 1/2 inch above the root) until tender. Drain the water and let them cool until you can handle them (or run under cold water), then slip the skins off with your hands. If you don't want red hands, use a paper towel to slip the skins off.

Method

Place all ingredients in a food processor (or blender) and pulse until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings and ingredients as desired. Refrigerate for a few hours to allow flavors to fully blend. Serve with pita chips, or with sliced cucumber or celery, or on a crostini with goat cheese and shaved mint.

Chill and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for longer storage.

Makes 2 cups.

Original recipe: http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/beet_hummus/

Beets with Mint and Yogurt

I'm cleaning out the last of the veggies, looking forward to this week's CSA share after the holiday break. The turnips were used in a soup last week; all that was left today were a few beets. Hmm... what to do with the beets? I'm perfectly happy boiling them up and eating them with a dab of butter and salt and pepper, but today I went in search of something more creative.

I found this recipe in Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian, just right to use up the beets and the last of the fresh mint in the crisper drawer. Don't let the color of this refreshing side dish put you off - it's delicious!

1 (8oz) beet or two smaller ones, boiled or roasted in foil until tender
2 cups plain yogurt
3/4 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/8 - 1/4 tsp cayenne (optional)
2 1/2 TBSP finely chopped fresh mint
1 TBSP olive oil
3 small garlic cloves, peeled (or one large clove, cut lengthwise into 3 sections)

Peel the cooked beet and grate it coarsely.

Put the yogurt in a bowl and beat it lightly with a fork or whisk until it is smooth and creamy. Add the salt, pepper to taste, and cayenne. Mix. Add the mint and beet. Mix gently.

Put the oil and garlic into a small frying pan and set over medium-high heat. The garlic will eventually begin to sizzle. Press down on the garlic with a spatula and let it sizzle some more, turning the pieces once or twice, until they turn a medium brown. Now pour the flavored oil and garlic into the bowl with the yogurt and mix (the recipe doesn't call for it but I chopped the garlic before putting it into the yogurt)

Serves 6-8 people; serve cold or at room temperature. I garnished with fresh chopped mint.



HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Halibut with Beets, Greens and Dill-Orange Gremolata

Happened upon this on the Epicurious.com website (Parent of Gourmet, Self, and Bon Appetit magazines). If you still have some beets left from last week, this would be a great use of them, along with the dill and oranges from this week! Serve with a side of roasted potatoes!

from Epicurious.com:
The whole beet—greens and all—is used in this clever, elegant main. Gremolata—a mixture of chopped herbs, garlic, and citrus peel—is the classic topping for osso buco. This garlic-free variation gives bright, fresh flavor to the halibut.

Seasoned Kitchen Cooking Class Recipes

Here are the recipes for the dishes we cooked at the cooking class on Monday. The lasagna and artichokes were wonderful--everything else, I hope was enjoyable as well, but I honestly didn't get a chance to try them! Overall, the class went well, although if we do this again, I will surely plan on small bites or appetizers to start with! Any other feedback is greatly appreciated. Read below for more notes and recipes. My other major regret is not having anyone take any pictures!


Winter Squash Lasagna with Greens & Brown Butter Sauce (Serves 4-6)
1-1/2 cups Winter Squash mashed & drained
1/2 cup Ricotta Cheese
3 cloves Garlic, minced & divided
1/4 cup basil, minced
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
1 Lemon
1 Egg
1 bunch Greens (chard, spinach or beet greens work best, mixed braising greens also work well)
3 Tbs Olive Oil
1/2 cup Parmesan or Asiago cheese, shredded, plus more for topping
1 lb Lasagna noodles

Brown Butter Sauce:
1/4 cup butter
2 cloves garlic, crushed
15-20 sage leaves
1 Tbs flour
1/4 cup broth

Cook lasagna noodles with 2 Tbs olive oil until just tender (“al dente”). Remove from heat and add 2 cups cold water to stop the noodles cooking. Drain and carefully toss with a little more oil if they stick together at all. Set aside.

Combine squash puree, ricotta cheese, 1/3 of the garlic, and spices in a bowl. Taste and salt as needed. Zest and juice lemon; add both to the squash mixture along with the egg. Set aside.

In a wide skillet, heat 3 Tbs olive oil over medium-high heat. Add trimmed, chopped greens and stir once or twice until greens start to wilt and coat with oil. Immediately sprinkle in remaining garlic and continue to sauté until greens are cooked, but still bright, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper as needed.

Coat the bottom of a 9x13 sheet pan or lasagna pan with oil. Lay one layer of noodles in the pan. Spread 1/3 of the filling over the noodles. Layer one half of the greens mixture over the squash. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the cheese. Another layer of noodles, 1/3 of squash, remaining greens, 1/3 of cheese. Top the final layer of noodles with the remaining squash. When you’re all done you will have 3 layers of noodles, 3 layers of squash, 3 layers of cheese and 2 layers of greens. Cover with foil or lid and bake at 400 degrees for 30-45 minutes, or until filling is set. Remove foil or lid for the final 5 minutes of cooking, and sprinkle with remaining cheese (this way it doesn't stick to the foil. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes while you prepare the brown butter sauce.

For the sauce:
Melt butter in medium skillet or sauce pan over medium heat. Add garlic. Once butter starts to brown, add sage leaves (careful, the butter goes from brown to burnt in a matter of seconds!). Stir quickly then add flour and stir to form a roux. Cook for 1 minute to cook flour and add broth, stirring until mixture is smooth and cooking until mixture is thickened slightly. Add more broth if desired—sauce can be as thin or as thick as you like.

Serve lasagna with sauce spooned on top and sprinkled with additional cheese if desired.


Roasted Baby Artichokes (Serves 2)
6 Baby artichokes
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 Tbs Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
1 lemon

Prepare a large bowl or pot with 1 quart of water and place lemon wedges, squeezed, into the water. Trim artichokes by removing the top 1/3 of artichoke and outer leaves. Trim stalk by 1/2-inch. Quarter artichokes and place immediately into lemon-water to prevent them from browning too much. Place olive oil and crushed garlic into baking dish. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Remove artichokes from water and shake excess water from them. Add to prepared dish and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Cover dish with lid or foil and bake for 20-30 minutes, until artichokes are tender. Remove lid or foil for last 10 minutes. Serve with additional lemon wedges if desired.

You can also get more elaborate on this dish and add rosemary, lemon zest, oregano, or any other flavorings that suit you, but the simple salt-garlic-pepper blend leaves the artichoke flavor to shine through.


Vegetarian Tuscan Potato Soup (Serves 2-4)
1 lb Potatoes
2 (small) Turnips
2 cups Greens, chopped (Rapini, Escarole, Kale or Chard work best)
1/4 cup Onions or scallions, chopped (if using scallions, divide greens from bottoms and reserve greens for garnish)
1/4 cup Basil, loosely packed & divided
1 tsp Fennel Seed, crushed
1/4 tsp Crushed Red Pepper
3 cloves Garlic or stalks green garlic
1/2 cup Cream or half-and-half
1 quart Vegetable broth
1 cup Garbanzo beans (cooked) or Italian Sausage (cooked, for non-vegetarian version)
Salt & Pepper

Heat 4 Tbs olive oil in soup pot. Add onions, garlic, fennel, red pepper and sauté over medium heat until onions begin to turn transluscent, about 4-5 minutes. Add beans, turnips, and potatoes and sauté 2 minutes more. Add broth, cover and bring to a boil. Cook 10-15 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Add greens and half of basil (chopped), stir and bring back to a boil. Cook 2 minutes or until greens are tender. Remove from heat, add cream and more broth if needed. Season with salt and pepper. Top with basil chiffonade and green onion tops if desired.

The soup, I thought, was good, but a bit on the bland side--probably a side effect from using beans instead of spicy Italian sausage as the original recipe calls for. It also needed more salt and pepper (remember: potatoes tend to absorb a lot of salt and other spices, so it leaves the remaining broth a bit on the underseasoned side).


Beet Carpaccio Salad with Candied Pecans and Goat Cheese (Serves Two)
1 cup Mixed greens or chopped lettuce
1 Orange or grapefruit, skin removed
3 Beets, cooked
1/2 cup Red Cabbage
2 Carrots
1 oz goat cheese (Chevre), crumbled

Vinaigrette:
1 tsp Honey
1 Tbs Red Wine or Balsamic Vinegar
2 Tbs Olive Oil
1 tsp Prepared, quality mustard (optional)
Salt and pepper

Candied Pecans:
1/4 cup pecans
2 Tbs sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp nutmeg
Pinch ground cloves, allspice, black pepper.

Prepare vinaigrette: combine all ingredients in a small bowl or bottle. Whisk until combined. Set aside.

For candied pecans: heat sugar, water and spices in heavy-bottomed skillet until it boils. Add pecans and stir to coat. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, over medium-high heat until liquid dissolves and sugar begins to crystallize. Remove from heat and remove nuts to a small piece of parchment or waxed paper. Break apart immediately to cool (Careful! Sugar is very hot!). Set aside

Slice orange or grapefruit cross-wise into 1/4-inch slices. Do the same with the beets. Finely shred carrots and cabbage. Divide lettuce onto two plates. Layer three slices of orange in the middle, in the shape of a flower. Surround by slices of beets. Top with shredded cabbage, carrots, goat cheese and candied pecans. Dress with vinaigrette.

This is really just a fancy name for a relatively basic salad (well, at least it's a standard in our household); tart apples also pair well with the beets if you don't have citrus, and in place of slicing everything up (which requires eating the salad with fork AND knife), you can cut them up into bite-size chunks. You can also substitute any nuts or seeds for the pecans and candying them is completely optional. You can sweeten the candied nuts with honey, maple syrup or agave syrup, but the result will not be crunchy and will be somewhat sticky instead. Any good vinaigrette or poppyseed dressing pairs wonderfully with this salad, just hold the Ranch!


Grapefruit-Pomegranate-Ginger Cocktails (Makes one 8-10-oz drink)
1 Tbs Ginger syrup
1 Grapefruit
4 oz Seltzer water
2 oz Pomegranate Juice
Ice

Place ice in 10 oz glass. Add ingredients in order. Serve topped with mint sprigs if desired.


Ginger syrup (Makes 2 cups)
2 Tbs Fresh ginger, minced or grated
1/2 cup Sugar (or substitute 1/4 cup honey)
1/4 cup Honey (or substitute 1/2 cup sugar)
2 cups Water

Heat all ingredients in small pan to boiling. Reduce heat to medium and cook, simmering rapidly, for 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. When cool, strain mixture into a clean, sterilized jar. Remaining ginger can be used in tor baking (flavor will be more muted but still present). Ginger syurp can be used to flavor drinks, desserts, teas, fruit salads, etc. Will keep in refrigerator for up to 6 months

I usually freeze my gingerroot to make it easier to grate, and store for longer periods of time, but end up with little knuckle-buster end pieces. So I make this syrup to use them up (or likewise to use up any pieces of ginger that you can't use for something else), but I have also bought and sliced up ginger just to use for this purpose! You can reduce the amount of water in the recipe by half or more to make a thicker syrup if desired. There is no need to peel the ginger for this recipe (I never do anyway), but it should be well-scrubbed but ginger is very easy to peel by simply scraping with the edge of a spoon.


Citrus Olive Oil Cake (Makes 2: 8x2-inch layers or 1: 9x13 sheet)
1-1/2 cups Flour
3/4 cup Sugar
3/4 cup Olive Oil
1 Orange, zested and juiced to make 1/3 cup
2/3 cup Yogurt or buttermilk
3 Eggs
1-1/2 tsp Baking powder
1/2 tsp Baking soda
1/4 tsp Salt
1/2 cup Almonds, slivered
1/4 cup powdered sugar

Heat oven to 350 deg F. Whisk eggs, orange zest, orange juice, yogurt and sugar until sugar is dissolved. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a mixing bowl. Stir in egg mixture until combined. Fold in oil until thoroughly incorporated. Pour batter into greased pan; sprinkle with almonds and bake 30-40 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool on rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.

We didn't actually make this cake for the class, but I am sharing the recipe because it was an absolutely scrumptious cake, with the perfect texture and not-too-sweet flavor.


Olive Oil Almond Tuiles (Makes 10-12 Tuiles)
1/4 cup Olive oil
1/4 cup Powdered Sugar
2 Tbs Flour
2 Tbs Semolina
1 Egg white
1/2 tsp Lemon or orange zest
1/2 tsp Vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean, scraped

Whisk all ingredients until thoroughly combined. Spoon mixture onto parchment-lined baking sheet and spread into thin, rounds (an offset spatula works ideally for this task). Cookies can be made as large or small as you like. Bake at 375 degrees F for 5-10 minutes (depending on size of cookies), until edges are slightly browned--careful, they burn QUICKLY! Remove from oven. Remove cookies from paper immediately and mold if desired (lay over a rolling pin to make traditional tuiles, over inverted muffin tin to make tulips or baskets, over a wooden spoon handle to make cigarettes, etc.). Let cool. Serve as is, or along with other desserts (ice cream, lemon curd, fruit compote, etc.)

These delicate little cookies are so simple it's not even funny. The ONLY fussy part about them is getting the batter thin enough on the cookie sheet to make a delicate, crispy, cookie. If it is too thick, the result will still be tasty, but will not be crispy, more cake-like instead. It is also VERY, VERY important to use a large or extra large egg for the white. We used small-medium (as they were from the farm, and not sized), and the cookies ended up extra sugary, which made them burn quickly and have an odd texture, not conducive to shaping.

Roasted Root Vegetables

Last week's share of gorgeous root vegetables inspired me to turn on the oven one last time before summer hits!

5 small red potatoes
2 sweet potatoes
6 medium carrots
4 medium beets
4 lg or 6 small cloves garlic
6-8 I'Itoi or green onion bulbs (the bottom 2" of the onion)
2-3 fresh rosemary or thyme sprigs - optional
Olive oil
Salt & pepper

Shallow roasting pan

Peel the beets. Chop the red and sweet potatoes, carrots and beets into approx. 1" cubes. Slice the onions in half lengthwise. Peel the garlic - split large cloves in half. Put all the veggies and the herbs into the roasting pan. Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with about 1/2 tsp salt and a bit of pepper. Toss until the veggies are coated.

Cover with lid or foil and bake at 385F for 45 minutes. Uncover (careful for the escaping steam!) and turn the veggies over. Check for tenderness. If still firm, cover and roast for another 15-20 minutes. Remove the cover and put back into the oven for another 15-30 minutes, depending on how brown you'd like them.

Roast Chicken with Roasted Roots

This chicken was so amazingly delicious and simple to prepare I might have a hard time cooking it any other way from now on. And, doesn't it look beautiful?! It was completely satisfying to have a meal like this with pastured, local chicken and organic CSA veggies and sharing it with good friends and conversation.

To Prepare:

Thaw the chicken and remove the neck and give the chicken a good rinse and pat dry. Make a paste of rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper and olive oil. Rub it under the skin, in the chest cavity and all over the bird. We put the chicken on a cooling rack over a cast iron pan in a 385 degree oven which allows the drippings to collect in the pan. While the chicken starts to cook, chop up some potatoes, beets and turnip (any root veggie would be great) and toss with some olive oil, salt and pepper and rosemary and thyme. Once the chicken has cooked for a a bit, add the roots to the cast iron pan and allow to cook stirring every so often. Once the chicken has about a half hour left to cook, we transferred the bird off the cooling rack and placed it atop the veggies. I think cooking time averages about 20 minutes per pound so it will vary depending on the size of the bird. Once it is done (juices will run clear), take it out of the oven and let it rest before cutting. We served it with a delightful CSA veggie salad and it fed 4 hungry women who enjoyed every bite!

Ruby Root Slaw

A delicious and quick and simple side dish to prepare with all these wonderful root (and not) vegetables we've been getting lately! And the color is absolutely amazing! For a super easy way to section oranges and grapefruits, check this out--practically as easy as peeling the fruit!

http://veganyumyum.com/2007/01/making-pretty-orange-segments/


1 ruby-red grapefruit or 1 large orange
1 small/medium raw beet
1 large or 3-4 small kohlrabi bulbs
3-4 small salad turnips
2-3 carrots
1 Tbs olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Prepare grapefruit or orange sections--another easy way is to halve the fruit and scoop out the sections with a grapefruit spoon, but they definitely aren't as pretty or as large as doing it the "proper" way! Peel remaining vegetables as desired (of course I peeled the beet and removed the skin and woody layer from the kohlrabi, but the turnips and carrots kept their skins).

Grate the vegetables into a bowl, toss with grapefruit (and any juice that remains in the membranes--just give it a good squeeze over the bowl), olive oil, salt and pepper and enjoy!

I have to say, this is the first time I have eaten raw beets and actually enjoyed them! I think the secret was to not have them front and center, as the bulk of this salad comes from the other vegetables and the beets are added mostly for color (and really only made it into the salad because I still had one lingering in my fridge!). You could also make this without the grapefruit or orange if desired, and substitute a tablespoon or two of red wine or balsamic vinegar.

This Week's Harvest

Wow, I was hit with a wallop of an illness for the past two weeks and I haven't done that much cooking or blogging. For awhile there, I was munching on saltines and broth, but I have my appetite back. My CSA cooking hasn't been particularly interesting besides making wonderful salads with all the great greens we have been getting. However, I have a new favorite ingredient for my scrambled eggs in the morn': beet greens! Yep, I chop those babies up, saute them in a little butter, add some beaten eggs and top with a little cheese, salt and pep and gobble it down! If I have Iitoi onions on hand, I will throw those in too. The greens are uber-nutritious and a really, nice mild green. I always chop the greens off the beets when I take them home to keep them getting wilted. Okay, so on to this week's harvest:

Red Potatoes
Citrus
Cabbage
Braising Greens or Swiss Chard
Iitoi Onions
Broccoli
Haruki Turnips
Dandelion Greens