A vibrant salad – both in color and taste. And straightforward – in preparation and flavors. This salad pairs especially well with ribs or other rich, grilled meats.
4 beets 4 tomatoes 1 – 2 balls of fresh mozzarella ½ cup fresh basil leaves 2 – 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar 3 – 4 tablespoons EVOO + extra for cooking the beets Salt and pepper to taste.
1. Scrub the beets well. Toss with a little olive oil, wrap in foil and roast in a 400F oven for 20 – 30 minutes, or until beets are tender when piereced with a paring knife. Let beets cool 2. Cut the tomatoes into chunks. Cut mozzarella into chunks. 3. When beets are cool enough to handle, peel and then cut into chunks. 4. Toss the beets, tomatoes, basil, olive oil and vinegar together in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. 5. Add the mozzarella – either just before serving to maintain its snow white color, or mixed in to let the beets dye it pink.
Whether POM’s health claims are true or not, I would argue it’s better than many of the dietary supplements available on the market. And when I served it with beets and kale – the most nutritionally dense food per calorie available, I knew I had a healthy meal.
Pomegranates and portobellos pair wonderfully with the combination of sweet and earthy flavors. The swordfish was a perfect vehicle to transport the flavor – meaty enough to keep its presence known but with minimal flavor competition.
In the past, when I’ve made the pomegranate vinaigrette, I squeezed my own – taking fresh pomegranates, cutting them in quarters and then squeezing the juice out with a potato ricer.
This time, I lazily just purchased bottled juice. The vinaigrette is thickened with cooked beets – which mirror the flavors of the pomegranates and mushrooms.
I served the sauce and 'shrooms with roasted swordfish, but you could also serve it with lamb or salmon. Or just toss some arugula with the mushrooms and vinaigrette for a bright fall salad.
Pomegranate Vinaigrette 1 small beet, cooked until exceedingly tender ½ cup pomegranate juice 1 small shallot, peeled and coarsely chopped ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil ½ lime, juiced Salt and pepper to taste
Sautéed Mushrooms 2 tbs. butter 3 portobello mushrooms, sliced ¼ inch thick 1 small shallot, peeled and diced 2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced 1 – 2 sprigs thyme ¼ cup dry sherry Salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste.
Heat a large skillet over medium high flame. Add butter. When butter is melted, and mushrooms. Cook without stirring for 2-3 minutes. Add shallots and garlic. Sprinkle thyme on top. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir mushrooms, and cook for 2 minutes more. Add sherry and let reduce. Set aside.
Buried in the crisper drawer of my refrigerator are packets and baggies of seeds – mostly opened and half used. Most are labeled with their contents, but one bag has a generic label “Mixed Lettuces.” The handwriting is decidedly of my friend Brett. And the seeds surely came from his farm.
Every spring when I plant lettuce, I use these seeds as well as a stash of mizuna, tat soi and arugula that I purchased from FedCo several years ago (I bought a 4 oz. bag which has managed to last me several years and the seeds don’t seem to suffer from the long-term refrigerator storage). The mixed lettuces never seem to yield anything of substance for me. But this year, when all the arugula, mizuna and tat soi bolted from the heat, the tender green leaves of the “mixed lettuce” just perked right up with no signs of withering. Even after 2 weeks of scorching (for New England) heat, the leaves are tender, not too bitter, and make a lovely salad. I wish I knew what variety they are – because I will plant them again with the idea of having a mid-summer salad.
I still have a few more beets to harvest and the first cucumber came in this morning. For lunch, I made a “garden” salad; a fry cry from the generic mixed greens with cherry tomatoes, carrot shreds and red onion rings that too often tries to pass itself off as such.
These greens are still quite tender and need to be dressed gingerly. The beets requested red wine vinegar and goat cheese. I first tossed the lettuce in olive oil to coat and protect them before adding the vinegar which tends to wilt things quickly. I then add the salt and pepper. The sweetness of the beets, the crunch of the cucumber and the softness of the greens provide the perfect explosion of flavor – no additional seasoning is necessary. (I did have some leftover chopped pistachios which seemed to pair beautifully… I couldn't resist)
We haven’t had rain in New England in about 2 weeks, and there is none in the forecast for the next one. Temperatures are predicted to hit 90F every day this week. Technically, though, this is not a drought. Perhaps, the water tables are still high from the flooding we had in March.
Drought or no drought, my garden is parched as can be. On the bright side, it makes weeding much easier. The soil is so dry that the weeds, roots and all, pluck out easily.
If I were to employ proper watering technique, I would need to water only every 3 days. That means saturating the soil 6 – 8 inches deep. While the moisture from the top layer is susceptible to evaporation, this gives a buffer and the roots can still pull the moisture up. When I water, I only manage to get about 1 inch deep. I think it’s just a matter of patience, or lack thereof. I water for about 15 minutes and then I get bored… I really need a sprinkler system to spray for at least one hour.
The other factor to consider when watering is the timing: water either early in the morning or late in the afternoon. The foliage needs a chance to dry before the sun hits them. Otherwise the leaves will burn. Also, this gives the water a chance to seep deep into the soil before evaporating from the heat of the sun.
Despite my less than stellar watering habits, I was still able to harvest several beets. And they were as sweet as can be.
Pistachio and Horseradish Crusted Salmon with Beet Lyonnaise
This recipe is adapted from Daniele Baliani. We worked together under Lydia Shire, and again when I had my business Interactive Cuisine. Today, you can find him heading up the kitchen at Il Casale.
Beet Lyonnaise
1medium onion, julienned 4 medium sized beets, peeled and sliced 2 oz. double smoked bacon
Salmon
2 tbs. extra virgin olive oil
4 salmon filets 2 tbs. prepared horseradish 1/2 cup crushed pistachios Salt and pepper to taste
1. For the beets: place the bacon in a heavy bottom skillet over medium heat. Add the smoked bacon., and cook until it begins to release its fat. Add the julienned onions and cook until soft and translucent. Add the sliced beets. Continue cooking over medium high heat until the beets are tender (Note: as the beets cook they will release a bit of water. If the heat is too low, the beets will release too much water and boil and you will end up with beet soup! If the heat is too high, they will stick to the pan and burn! Be careful and watch this step closely) Season to taste with salt and pepper.
2. For the salmon: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Season the salmon on both sides with salt and pepper. In a medium skillet, add 2 tbs. of olive oil. Brown salmon on both sides and transfer filets to a cookie sheet. Rub each filet with the prepared horseradish. Sprinkle pistachios on top of the filets. And bake for 7 – 10 minutes until a crust has formed.
You can serve the salmon with a watercress salad, I opted for a bed of wilted kale from the garden.
Mother Nature is brilliant – she stealthily tells us what foods to pair with what and when. Tomatoes and basil, the classic flavor marriage born in southern Italy: we don’t even think about it now, but the fact that they grow next to each other in the hot Mediterranean sun tells us. Similarly, dill, potatoes and salmon from the cooler northwestern region of Europe taste great together too, and by no coincidence they hail from the same region.
We can also be guided by the seasons. Asparagus and Morels are quintessential spring and pair beautifully. Apples and cabbage peak in flavor in the fall and elevate each other’s flavors. I hadn’t really thought about it previously, but Brussels sprouts and tomatoes just don’t work together. Let's suffice it to say, I have the pictures to prove it.
When unsure about pairing flavors together, if I don’t reference The Flavor Bible, I think about the seasons and the origins.
The other night, I was cooking dinner and thinking about how to cook the beets I had in the fridge. I had more clementines and recalled that orange and beets are a classic combination. But as I thought further, I was confounded… beets grow in the summer: I know this about beets because I see them at the Farmers’ markets and also grew them myself. But citrus are native to the winter. How could this be? This flavor pairing couldn’t be a classic if Mother Nature hadn’t intended it, could it?
Interestingly, the root vegetables like beets and potatoes tend to be considered winter vegetables even though they are grown in the summer and fall. They get this reputation because they store well through the colder months in the *root* cellar. When I think about it like this, it’s not surprising that the root vegetables also pair well with the winter flavors.
See, she had it figured out all along… Mother Nature is brilliant!
Beet and Clementine Salad 3 beets 2 clementines or 1 large orange 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 1/2 tsp. ground cumin 1/4 tsp. ground coriander salt and pepper to taste torn mint to garnish
1. Wash beets. Toss them with 1 tbs. olive oil and put them in a 375F oven (in a pan) for 30 minutes or until a knife easily pierces through. 2. Meanwhile, peel the clementines and cut into sections. See Helen's blog for a great photo montage of how to do it. 3. When beets are tender, let them cool slightly. Peel them with a peeler or paring knife. Cut them into wedges, and place them in a heat proof bowl. 4. Heat remaining olive oil in a small skillet. Add cumin and coriander and cook over medium heat until fragrant. Pour over beets and toss. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 5. Add the clementines. Garnish with mint just before serving.
Many moons ago, my sister lived in Morocco to learn Arabic and teach music in a school for the blind. Traveling to a foreign country with a native is perhaps the best way to see a country and avoid the tourist traps and scams. Traveling with my sister at the end of her year was a close second. She spoke (and read) the language fluently, which allowed us to navigate the country and menus quite easily.
When we’d go out to eat, I’d let her order. I recall one café… We placed the typical order, “jusz jasz”: two chickens. The waiter quoted us a price: 80 dirham. What?? My sister pointed to the Arabic menu and with a flawless accent and perfect grammar, she questioned, “But the menu says it’s only 20.”
Another favorite was the vegetable salad. Beets, potatoes and carrots were sautéed in fruity olive oil, seasoned with cumin, coriander and black pepper.
This year, I grew beets for the first time. As the British name, "beetroot," would suggest, they grow underground so it's not obvious when they're ready to harvest. One farmer advised to inspect the shoulders of the root which protrudes from the soil. When they are several inches in diameter, the beets are ready. Also, the leaves should be broad and long. I began harvesting the beets last week, and every time I dug one up, it seemed too small. Alas, once you harvest, you can’t put them back.
With my baby beets, I sautéed them with olive oil, cumin and coriander, and tossed them with mint: the perfume took me back to the summer with my sister, wandering the country together.
Moroccan Style Beet Salad with Mint 5 baby beets or 2 medium beets 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 teaspoon cumin ½ teaspoon coriander Salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste 8 large mint leaves, cut into chiffonade
1. Put beets in a pot of cold water. Bring to a boil over high flame. Cover pot and let simmer for 20 minutes, or until beets are tender – a butter knife will insert easily. 2. Remove beets from heat and let cool. The skins should peel off easily. 3. Cut beets into 8th. 4. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium flame. Add cumin, coriander, salt and pepper. Cook until spices become aromatic. Add the beets, and warm through, tossing to coat in scented oil. 5. Remove from heat and serve. Sprinkle mint on top, and a squeeze of lemon.
Beets get a bad rap, though I’m not sure where it comes from. Perhaps it’s a hold-over from the days when the only variety available were canned, leaving them mushy, salty and bland. To me, they are a perfect balance of firm, refreshing texture with a sweet, earthy flavor. Best of all, they are nutritious, so I feel downright virtuous when I consume a bowlful like candy.
Last week, beets appeared at the market. They were shamefully small, and I couldn’t imagine there’d be much left after peeling. As much as I love beets, it seemed the farmers were rushing the process.
This week, however, they were decidedly larger. With the greens still attached I know they are freshly harvested — beets that have been in storage have the tops cut off as they wither in a few days. Like tomatoes, beets come in a variety of colors, shapes and sizes – candy striped with white rings, golden, pink and red. They range in sweetness, the red sometimes cloying by comparison to the lighter colors.
Roasting beets intensifies the flavors and the sweetness. It also makes peeling easier. Before roasting, be sure to scrub the beets well to remove all the dirt. Toss them in some olive oil, wrap in foil, and bake in a 350 oven for an hour or so.
Lately, my favorite preparation has been roasted with bacon and onions. While the beets are roasting, I sauté bacon and onions together until the bacon is crisp and the onions are caramelized. When the beets are cooked, I peel and slice them and toss them in the bacon-onion mix. Seasoned with a little lemon juice or mint, they are the perfect accompaniment to salmon (Crusted with pistachios and horseradish) or a pasta carbonara with peas or asparagus. Pureed with a little olive oil or chicken stock, it makes a delightful sauce for just about anything.
Beets with goat cheese are a classic combination. The tart, creaminess of the cheese balances with the sweet, firm texture of the beets. Though, I don’t eat nuts, walnuts add both texture and flavor that some say is the perfect compliment.
Of course, beets stain exceptionally well – hands, cutting boards and clothing. The best remedy is to wash with a paste of cold water and baking soda. Not only does it remove the red from your hands, it leaves them soft as well. Beets and Goat Cheese Napolean with Buttered Walnuts
1 lb. red beets 2 tbs. olive oil 1 red onion, finely diced 1 tbs. red wine vinegar 1-2 tbs. fresh chopped thyme 4 oz. creamy goat cheese salt and pepper to taste
1. Put beets in a pot and cover in cold water. Season water with salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer. Continue cooking for 30 minutes, or until skins easily peel off.
2. When beets are cooked, cool under cold running water. Peel beets. Slice. Toss beets with red onions, vinegar, olive oil and thyme.
3. Put beets on a plate, and dollop goat cheese on top. Garnish with mesclun and buttered walnuts
Balsamic Mesclun 1 pound mesclun 3 tbs. balsamic vinegar 1 tsp. shallots 1 tsp. thyme 1 tsp. mustard ½ cup + extra virgin olive oil pinch sugar salt and pepper to taste
Put balsamic, shallots, thyme and mustard in a blender. Puree. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the oil. Season to taste with salt, pepper and sugar
Buttered Walnuts 1 cup walnuts 2 or more tbs. butter salt and pepper
Melt butter in skillet. Toss in walnuts and toast until lightly browned and fragrant. Season with salt and pepper.
, I think about the seasons and the origins.