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!

Christmas Wheatberry Salad

A twist on tabbouleh! This recipe serves about 20 people.

I didn't measure when I made this, but these ratios are close enough... it's a very forgiving recipe.

Put the following ingredients in a large bowl and toss until mixed:

6 cups cooked wheat berries
1/4 cup finely chopped I'itoi onions - green parts only
1/4 cup finely chopped mint
1/2 cup finely chopped Italian parsley
1 cup chopped tomatoes, chopped into small chunks
1 small or 1/2 large red bell pepper, chopped into small chunks
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Drizzle over the top, and stir to mix well:

1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice

Salt to taste.

For best flavor, remove from the refrigerator about 30 minutes prior to serving, to remove the chill.

Santa Salsa

1 bunch raw red-stemmed chard, stemmed and chopped
5 roasted green chiles, skinned, deveined, seeded, and chopped
1 serrano chile with seeds, minced
1 clove garlic, mashed with salt
2-4 tablespoons leftover cranberry sauce
juice of half a lime
orange juice

Start to puree everything but the orange juice in a food processor or blender. With the machine running, add enough orange juice (about 1/4 cup) for a nice salsa consistency. Taste and add salt if necessary.

From Gretchen

Autumn Wheat Berry Salad (or Stuffing)

This recipe can be served cold, room temperature or even warm on its own or used as a stuffing for squash, onions, turkey, etc.

• 1 cup wheat berries (or barley)
• 3 cups water
• 2 small or 1 large yam/sweet potato
• 1 tsp ground coriander (optional; sub allspice or cinnamon for a sweeter flavor)
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1 apple, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 shallot, chopped (or 2 Tbs minced sweet onion)
• 1/4 cup toasted pecans, pumpkin seeds, or slivered almonds (optional)

Maple-Mustard Vinaigrette:

• 2 Tbs. fig jam*
• 1 Tbs. fine prepared mustard (Dijon, wine, etc.)
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 3 Tbs. olive oil or some nice salad oil like hazelnut, etc.
• 2 Tbs. maple syrup
• 1/4 tsp salt
• Pinch nutmeg
• Pinch ground ginger
• Black pepper

Bring water to a boil; add wheat berries and cook 1 hour, until done; drain if needed. If using barley, cook accordingly depending on the type, pearled or not. Heat oven to 450 degrees F. Peel and cube sweet potatoes. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and coriander or other spices to your liking and roast for 20-30 minutes, until tender and slightly browned. Remove from oven and let cool. Meanwhile, heat 1 Tbs olive oil in a medium pan and saute onions, celery and apple just until they start to soften. Combine with potatoes and cooked wheat berries. Toss with dressing and serve.


*If you don't have fig jam handy, sub apple jelly, apple butter, apricot jam, pear jam, etc. or simmer 2 minced figs or half of a pear or apple in 1/4 cup water, 1 Tbs honey/sugar, and a squeeze of lemon juice, or... be creative!

Spaghetti Squash recipes

Since I'm still having trouble deciding which amongst these recipes I'm going to make to use up the spaghetti squash, I decided to share them all. I have to admit, spaghetti squash ranks up there with boiled spinach and the likes as a least favorite food memory, probably because my mother always tried to serve it like spaghetti: drowned in tomato-y pasta sauce and Parmesan cheese. So it's not something I go out and voluntarily buy, but since we don't throw food out around here, and I've come great lengths in abandoning food aversions and "outgrowing" a distaste for certain foods particularly since participating in the CSA, I have resigned myself to finding more unique ways to prepare this interesting vegetable. So here are some of the ideas that I have stumbled across recently:

• Spaghetti Squash Gratin
• Morroccan-Spiced Spaghetti Squash
• Spaghetti Squash and Red Quinoa Casserole
• Spaghetti Squash with Bacon and Turnip Greens (a two-fer-one recipe!)
• Spaghetti Squash New Mexican similar to this one that is baked as a casserole (both with green chiles!)
• Tomato-Scallion Quiche with Spaghetti Squash crust

Bon Appetit!

P.S. If anyone happens to try one of these ideas, please leave your thoughts/advice in the comments!

Swiss chard on the side

This is one of my favorite ways to prepare Swiss chard. It goes wonderfully with your favorite main course - perhaps some grilled chicken or fish and a side of rice. Anything, really.

2 carrots, peeled and grated
2 large cloves garlic, minced
3-4 I'itoi onions, the whites cut into 1/8" slices and the greens into 2" sections
1 large bunch Swiss chard, washed, large stems removed, chopped
olive Oil
crushed red pepper flakes
salt & pepper

Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and add about a tablespoon of olive oil. Add the carrots and onions, and cook until both are soft, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and a couple shakes of red pepper flakes (about 1/8-1/4 tsp). Cook, stirring, until the aroma of the garlic is released. You don't want to brown the garlic, just cooked until soft.

Add the Swiss chard and stir until it becomes wilted. Turn the heat down to low, add a couple teaspoons of water, and cover. Cook for about five minutes longer. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper (if desired), and it is ready to serve.

Stuffed Cucumbers

We are all so excited that the CSA has started up again! Not that we don't enjoy shopping at the Summer Farmer's Market, but there is something exhiliarating about not knowing what you'll get each week and then trying to figure out what to do with everything. (Although, I know this can be an issue for folks, too, which is why the newsletter and this blog come in so handy!)

I'm sure many folks were befuddled over what to do with such giant cucumbers as we got the last few weeks. I, personally, don't understand why some farmers grow these cukes so large, other than that they can. They are perfectly edible, and much less daunting, when they are "small." Whining aside, we love cucumbers around here, so there really isn't much problem using up so much vegetable. Additionally, they are very mild flavored cucumbers, and so are versatile, too, and can even be used in a fashion similar to a melon. In fact, these particular cucumbers also go by the name "Snake Melon."

We made this as a main dish for a light dinner one night, and served it with a side of Chinese-style omelette. Apologies for not including a picture; we wolfed these down before I thought of it!

1/2 medium or large Armenian cucumber (aka Snake Melon)
4 oz cream cheese
2 Tbs mayonnaise
1 avocado, mashed
3 Tbs chives or green onions, minced
1 can crab meat or tiny shrimp, well drained (for a vegetarian version, substitute crumbled tofu)
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce (substitute soy sauce, fish sauce, or Braggs)
1/2 tsp dried dill weed
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1 Tbs prepared horseradish (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

Peel cucumber and halve lengthwise. Scoop out seeds and cut into 1-inch pieces. Combine remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Spoon filling into each cucumber "boat" and sprinkle with additional pepper to serve.

Notes: without the horseradish, the filling is on the mild side. The horseradish kicks it up nicely, but you could also put in comething like capers, fresh garlic, or cayenne pepper to add more depth.