beets Tag

01 Jun

Posted at 12:31h in Recipes by
27 Likes

Beets are new to our shares this week, so I thought it would be fun to showcase these nutrient rich root veggies in a simple salad.  Roasting them only enhances their sweet earthy flavor. This salad can be made ahead of time and is best when given time to chill and marinate.  It can be served alone, as a side, or on top of greens.

Roasted Beet Salad

Ingredients:
1 bunch beets, bulbs only
1 green garlic, white part only
1 spring onion, bulb only
2 Tbsp olive oil or avocado oil
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp lemon juice
½ tsp lemon zest
½-1 tsp honey or maple syrup
½ tsp sea salt
Pinch black pepper
1 tsp finely chopped fresh chives

Directions:

  • Clean beet bulbs. Wrap each bulb in foil and roast in 400°F oven for 30-45 minutes.

  • Time will vary depending on the size of the beets.  They should be fork tender when done.  Larger beet bulbs may need up to 60 minutes of roasting time.
  • Remove from oven and open foil. Allow to cool for 20-30 minutes.
  • Peel (they should rub right off) and cut into cubes. Place in a medium bowl.
  • Thinly slice green garlic and spring onion and mix in with beets.

  • Combine oil, vinegar, lemon juice, lemon zest, honey/maple syrup, salt, and pepper in a small bowl or mason jar. Mix well.
  • Pour dressing over beet mixture and mix until beets are well coated.
  • Garnish with chives.
  • Store in an airtight container in refrigerator.
  • Serve as a side or over a bed of fresh salad greens.

**Feel free to also add a crumbled cheese like goat or feta (or try the Birchrun Hills Farm Blue Cheese from this week’s cheese share) and some toasted nuts like walnuts or almonds.

Recipe and photos by Stephanie Borzio.  Stephanie is a mom of three active boys and is an autoimmune warrior.  After battling her own health for several years, Stephanie found healing through food and lifestyle changes, including joining Blooming Glen Farm CSA of which she is a long time member.  She is a Board Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach who is passionate about sharing healthy living tips and real food recipes.  Instagram and Facebook: Tru You Essentials; Website: www.truyouessentials.com

28 Oct

Posted at 15:34h in Recipes by
16 Likes

Beets are full of essential vitamins and minerals and are a great addition to any meal.  They can be eaten raw and are delicious shredded into a slaw.  They can be roasted and served as a side to your favorite protein.  But one of my favorite ways to serve beets is pickling them.  This recipe gives you two options- pair them with some onions in a more traditional pickled beet recipe or combine with jalapenos and garlic for a spicy version.  I highly recommend trying both.  These pickled beets can be enjoyed straight out of the jar, on a salad, as a side, or even on a snack or charcuterie board.

Pickled Beets with Onions

Ingredients:
5 medium beets
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup water
1/3 cup honey
2 tsp sea salt
1 cup onions, sliced thin

Pickled Beets with Jalapeno and Garlic

Ingredients:
5 medium beets
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup water
1/3 cup honey
2 tsp sea salt
1 jalapeno, sliced thin (or use ½ for less spice)
3 cloves garlic, sliced thin

  • Clean beets. Leave whole with skin on. (Save the greens and add them to a soup or saute.)

  • Place beets in a pot of water. Bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer and cook until fork tender.  Cook time will depend on the size of the beets.  Smaller beets will take about 20 minutes and larger beets can take up to 45 minutes.
  • Once beets are fork tender, remove them from the pot and place in a bowl of cold water. Allow to sit for a minute or two.
  • Drain beets and peel off skin (it will rub right off). Also remove any stems that you left on.
  • Thinly slice beets (I used a mandolin set on the 3/16 setting) and place in a bowl.
  • If you are making the onion version, add those to the bowl with the sliced beets. If you are making the jalapeno and garlic version, add those to the bowl with the sliced beets.  Mix well and place in a 1-liter glass jar.
  • Combine apple cider vinegar, water, honey, and sea salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 3 minutes.
  • Pour liquid over the beet mixture. Allow to cool for 15 minutes.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.
  • Enjoy the next day or refrigerate for up to 3 weeks.

 

Recipe and photos by Stephanie Borzio.  Stephanie is a mom of three active boys and is an autoimmune warrior.  After battling her own health for several years, Stephanie found healing through food and lifestyle changes, including joining Blooming Glen Farm CSA of which she is a long time member.  She is a Board Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach who is passionate about sharing healthy living tips and real food recipes.  Instagram and Facebook: Tru You Essentials; Website: www.truyouessentials.com

23 Jun

Posted at 21:25h in Recipes by
30 Likes

BeetsBeets are a staple veggie at the farm, making an appearance both at the beginning & end of the season each year. Like many root vegetables, beets have lots of vitamins & minerals, including those that help grow red blood cells (folate) & those that that help build sturdy & strong bones (manganese). Also like many root vegetables, much of the nutrition in beets lives in or near the skin, so skip the peeler & simply scrub them clean before eating.

Enjoy beets raw & cooked: Use slices of raw beets in a veggie dip or hummus, or dice them up small & add them to a green, grain or pasta salad. Use a grater to shred raw beets for slaws or to use in breads, muffins & even cookies! Of course, the sweetest way to eat beets is by roasting them. The simple recipe below combines beets with another CSA staple, kohlrabi. You can serve this dish as is, or use it as a base for a more hearty meal:

  • Serve chilled & topped with cooked quinoa & plain yogurt (pictured below)
  • Mix in chickpeas or black soy beans
  • Use as a pita filling with hummus
  • Top with plain yogurt or sour cream & minced chives
  • Serve on top of a chopped green salad
  • Combine with a cooked whole grain (brown rice, bulgur, farro, etc.)
  • Top with sunflower or sesame seeds

Roasted Beets & Kohlrabi with Fennel
BeetsIngredients
8 beets
8 kohlrabi
3 fennel
1-1/2 tablespoons grapeseed or other high-heat cooking oil
salt & pepper

Method
Preheat oven to 400-degrees. Trim tops off beets, scrub clean & dice. Trim, peel & dice kohlrabi. Slice fennel bulbs & stems, up to fronds. Toss beets, kohlrabi & fennel with a bit of grapeseed oil, salt & pepper.

Place vegetables in a baking dish, cover & bake for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with a little more salt & pepper, stir, recover & return to the oven. Bake until just tender, about 20 more minutes.

gfg_head shot mPost and photos by Mikaela D. Martin: Blooming Glen CSA member since 2005, board-certified health counselor, and co-founder of Guidance for Growing, an integrative wellness practice in Souderton. Read more about healthy eating and living on her site, http://guidanceforgrowing.com!

09 Jul

Posted at 14:30h in Recipes by
11 Likes

I’ve been making a beet burger recipe that was given to me by a farmer friend from Wisconsin for a few years now.  At first, I was pretty excited about it and looked forward to beet season just so that I could make the recipe again. But, after making it so many times it needed some new life. A kitchen experiment was in order. So, I decided to use the same general recipe for the burgers and pair them with some new flavors. I exchanged the bun and cheddar cheese for pita and feta crumbles.  The result was just was I was looking for: something refreshingly tasty, yet wholesome at the same time! If you like falafel as much as I do, this recipe is worth a try. It’s just a twist on more traditional Mediterranean meal.

Falafel Style Beet patties

4 medium size beets, peeled and quartered
3-4 medium carrots, chunked
1 large sweet spring onion, sliced
¼ cup sunflower seeds
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 medium eggs
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the beets, carrots, onion, sunflower seeds and flour in a food processor and chop until a finely diced mixture is created. (If you don’t have a food processor you can finely grate the vegetable components straight into a bowl.)  Transfer mixture to a medium sized bowl and add eggs and salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly in order to coat vegetables in egg.

Next, use your hands to create golf ball sized rounds of the mixture, making sure to squeeze out the extra moisture as you go. You can squeeze it over the bowl or directly into the sink. (Be aware: your hands will take on a bright magenta color during this process, but it does eventually wash off!) Place the rounds on an ungreased baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes or until tops become deep red in color.

For extra crispy beet patties, transfer the rounds into a warm skillet with 2 Tablespoons of olive oil for about 5 minutes, flipping once. You can skip this step if you prefer to just bake them. Serve patties with pita, swiss chard or lettuce, and feta. For more flavor you can add a sauce of ½ a diced cucumber, 3 sprigs of finely chopped dill, and 2 Tablespoons of yogurt. This recipe serves 4-5 people.

If you’re completely new to beet burgers, feel free to use the recipe for its original purpose by making the mixture into patties instead of balls. And, you can add shredded cheddar cheese (about ½ cup) right into the mixture to give it an even richer burger flavor. I would serve them on wheat buns with your favorite burger toppings.

Photos and recipe by Blooming Glen Farm apprentice Rebecca Metcalf.