Raw Beet Salad

Most beet recipes call for the beets to be cooked in some fashion.  And roasted beets are among the most delicious vegetable treats.  I like to keep a few roasted beets in the fridge so that I can make a beet salad anytime.  However, raw beets make a very tasty salad as well, in a fraction of the time.  Just peel and grate the beets, mix up a quick dressing, and toss.

This beautiful salad can be eaten immediately after it's made, or you can make it a day or two ahead and allow the beets to soak up some of the flavorful citrus dressing.  Either way, this great summer salad is perfect for a picnic or a barbeque.

2C grated beets*
1T minced green shallots or red onion
2 T fresh-squeezed lemon juice
2 T fresh-squeezed orange juice
2 T olive oil
2 t honey
salt and pepper to taste

1.  Mix the grated beets and shallot or onion in a medium bowl.

2.  In a separate small bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients until well combined.

3.  Pour the dressing over the grated beets and shallots and toss to coat evenly.  Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

*The easiest way to grate beets is in a food processor fitted with the grating blade, but it's almost as easy to grate beets using a hand grater, and there's less clean-up with the hand grater.

You can substitute 1C grated carrots for 1C grated beets if you prefer.  And you can double or halve this recipe if you would like to make more or less.

Today's bounty included:

From Jaime Organics:  Yellow and green hot-house peppers, cilantro, and dill;

From JR Organics:  Red leaf lettuce, arugula, and chard;

From Sage Mountain Farm:  Shiraz beets, 8-ball squash, kale, and purple scallions;

From Sweet Tree Farms:  Yellow peaches and white nectarines; and

From Weiser Family Farms:  Charentais melon and spring french shallots.

Happy 4th of July!

Shelley

Beet, Mandarin and Feta Salad with Nasturtiums

Today's recipe uses several items from this week's bounty to compose an attractive and delicious salad. Make a little for a side dish, or make a lot for a main course salad.

Use the quantites below for two generous side dish servings:

1 C roasted beets, peeled and cubed

To roast beets: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Trim off greens (save for another use). Wash and dry the beets. Wrap in foil (optional). Roast in the oven until a fork or skewer can easily pierce the beet. Cool to room temperature.

2/3 C crumbled feta cheese
2 nugget mandarins, peeled, trimmed of pith
1/4 C nasturtiums, stemmed and torn into pieces
1/2 - 1 t olive oil
1/2 t balsamic vinegar, or more to taste
salt and pepper to taste

1. Place the roasted and cubed beets in a bowl with the crumbled feta.

2. Pull the mandarin sections apart and cut in half or cut the peeled mandarin sections into supremes. [See the recipe for March 16, 2012 on how to cut citrus supremes.] Add to the bowl with the beets and cheese.

3. Add the torn nasturtiums. Toss the salad.

4. Add a small amount of olive oil and balsamic and toss again.

5. Serve by spooning out onto a a salad leaf or two, such as a red butter letuce leaf or a few large leaves from the salad mix. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper, if desired.

Today's bounty included:

From Sage Mountain Farm: Blue Scotch kale, salad mix, Shiraz beets, green purple Italian garlic, and spring onions;

From JR Organics: Golden chard, mustard greens, and red butter lettuce;

From Weiser Family Farms: Rutabaga;

From Rancho Santa Cecilia: Hass avocados and Golden Nugget mandarins;

From Jaime Farms: Brown onions, mixed bell peppers, free range eggs.

And assorted herbs and nasturtiums from Silver Lake Farms.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Red Flannel Hash

Here's what Farmer John had for us at the Silver Lake pick-up this week:

Baby beets
Broccoli
Baby bok choi
Tat soi
Curly mustard
Green garlic
Green onion
Arugula
Stinging nettles
Chicoria (Italian dandelion)

I must confess, I adore beets. They're beautiful and versatile, savory and sweet. There's even a cake I bake with beets! One of my favorite beet recipes is Red Flannel Hash. Making it from scratch can be a bit of a production, but it's well worth the effort.

If you plan ahead, however, you can make Red Flannel Hash from leftovers, since the main ingredients - beets and potatoes - are cooked before assembling the hash. In fact, hash is traditionally made from leftovers. So, the next time you cook up some beets or potatoes, think about Red Flannel Hash and make a little extra so that you can enjoy this delicious treat.

Red Flannel Hash

3 medium beets
3 large red skin potatoes
1 lb deli corned beef, in a chunk, not sliced (optional)
1 large onion
4 T vegetable oil
salt and pepper to taste
8 eggs

1. Cut off the beet greens and save them for another use. Wash and dry the beets. Wrap them in foil. Bake in a 350 degree oven until just tender, about 45 minutes. When the beets are done, set them aside to cool. When you can handle them, remove the foil and slip off their skins. Dice the beets and set them aside.

2. While the beets are in the oven, scrub the potatoes. Put them in a sauce pan with water to cover and boil them, peels and all, until just tender. Remove the pan from the heat. Drain the potatoes, set them aside to cool. When you can handle them, dice the potatoes and set them aside.

3. While the beets and potatoes are cooking, chop the onion and dice the corned beef. If you're a vegetarian, you can omit the corned beef, just add another beet or 2 and another potato in order to have enough hash for 4 people.

4. To assemble the hash: in a large skillet over medium-high heat cook the chopped onion in 2 T vegetable oil until translucent. Add the additional 2 T oil and the diced beets, diced potatoes, and diced corned beef. Add a little salt and pepper to taste.

5. Cook the hash, stirring occasionally. Let the hash form a bit of a crust on the bottom before stirring it up, but be careful not to burn the hash. Use additional oil as necessary and turn down the heat if desired. Since the ingredients are already cooked, cook the hash to your desired doneness. I like my hash with a lot of browned crustiness.

6. When the hash is nearly done, cook the eggs. You can poach them in simmering water or fry them in a separate skillet either sunnyside up or over to your desired doneness.

7. To serve, scoop some hash onto a plate and top with 2 poached or fried eggs. Serve hot.

Serves 4

Enjoy!

Shelley

Roasted Beet Salad

Here's what Farmer John had for us at the Beachwood pick-up this week:

Green onion
Fresh garlic
Baby broccoli
Chicoria
Curly mustard
Beets
Baby bok choy
Tat soi
Arugula
Nettles

Beets are really two vegetables in one. The wavy, red-ribbed greens can be sauteed and eaten like chard, while the deep magenta root has myriad uses in soups, stews, salads, entrees, even dips. Roasting beets deepens their flavor and concentrates their sugar. Roasted beets are a perfect complement to the spicy, nutty flavor of arugula. Here's a simple little salad with a few options for dressing it up.

Roasted Beet Salad

3 medium beets
1 bunch arugula
1 T thinly sliced red onion
1-2 t extra virgin olive oil
1-2 t balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

1. Trim the greens off the beets and save for another use. Scrub the beets, but do not peel them. Dry the beets and wrap them in foil.

2. Roast the beets in a 350 degree oven until a toothpick can be easily inserted into the center of the beet, about 45-60 minutes. Do not overcook.

3. Remove beets from oven and allow them to cool until they can be handled. Unwrap the foil and you'll be able to slide the skins right off.

4. Dice or chop the beets and set aside.

5. Wash, dry, and trim the arugula. Tear into bite-sized pieces.

6. In a medium bowl, combine the diced beets, arugula, and red onion. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add olive oil and balsamic vinegar and toss until coated.

Makes 2 large or 4 small servings

You can dress up this salad by adding one or more of the following ingredients:

1/2 C mandarin or blood orange segments
1/3 C crumbled goat cheese or blue cheese
2 T chopped toasted walnuts or whole toasted pine nuts

Enjoy!

Shelley

What's in the box?

November 13, 2009

Pick-up # 6

This week Farmer John had:

1 bunch of nettles - very good for asthma, respiratory system, arthritis, joint pain, calming effect on mind and body. Contains iron and tons of micro-nutrients. Spencer says: "Soaking nettles in water or cooking will remove the stinging quality from the plant, which allows them to be handled and eaten without incidence of stinging." Thank you Spencer!!! See below for how to prepare nettles.

1 romaine lettuce
1 butternut squash
1 celery
1 bunch of beets (see below for Bree's beet roasting instructions - Thank you Bree!)
1 bunch of fresh green shallots
frizee lettuce
dandelion
broccoli
dry garlic

OK. Nettles: sautee with beet greens, dandelion leaves, garlic and fresh green shallots. sprinkle pomegranate seeds just before serving - also roasted almond slivers. Nettles are SO good for you! You could also make a tea with them. Put them in a teapot, add boiling water, steep for a bit and drink it up! Nettles grow wild in my garden. I also feed my plants with nettle tea.

Bree's beets: wash, cut off the tap root, don't worry about peeling them, cut off the greens and keep these for sauteeing (see above) wrap each beet with double layer of tin foil, roast in the oven for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.