Eating our (beet) greens!

I love beets.  I really do!  I've loved them for as long as I remember.  A traditional meal for my family when I was a wee one was greek salad.  No casseroles or hot dishes - greek salad, people!  With beets!  I think even my "picky" sister likes beets and ate them in the greek salad as a kid. 

However, I just started learning how to eat not only the beets but the beet greens, too.  We tried this recipe with farro that includes both the beets and the greens.  Mike and I gobbled it up and had seconds.  The kids weren't so interested.  Owen finally gave in and tried the farro but was concerned about the "beet gravy" that colored everything red.  The recipe calls for feta or goat cheese but I think the salty feta really works well.  I bought some feta from the co-op and thought it had so much more flavor than the standard grocery store brand I usually buy. 

I do regret not getting a very attractive photo.  If you don't want it all to turn red, I'd sprinkle the beets on top when serving and not mix them in.  Oops!

Farro Salad with Beets, Beet Greens and Feta
via New York Times via Pinterest



2 medium or 3 small beets (any color) with greens, the beets roasted, the greens stemmed and washed in two changes of water
1 cup farro, soaked for one hour in water to cover and drained
Salt, preferably kosher salt, to taste
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 small garlic clove, minced or pureed
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup broken walnut pieces
2 ounces feta or goat cheese, crumbled (more if desired for garnish)
1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley, tarragon, marjoram, chives, mint

Bring 2 quarts water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Fill a bowl with ice water. When the water comes to a boil, add salt to taste and the greens. Blanch for two minutes, and transfer to the ice water. Allow to cool for a few minutes, then drain and squeeze out excess water. Chop coarsely and set aside.

Bring the water back to a boil, and add the farro. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer 45 minutes, stirring from time to time, or until the farro is tender. Remove from the heat and allow the grains to swell in the cooking water for 10 minutes, then drain.

While the farro is cooking, make the vinaigrette. Whisk together the vinegars, salt, garlic and mustard. Whisk in the oil(s). Add to the farro. Peel and dice the beets and add, along with the beet greens, feta or goat cheese, herbs and walnuts. Toss together, and serve warm or room temperature with a little more cheese sprinkled over the top if you wish.  Serves 8 (maybe as a side, but 4ish as a main dish)

Long time, no post!

The blog got put on the back burner after some serious morning sickness last farm season. Earlier this season, our beautiful baby girl was born (June 2nd) and things were just too hectic to even get dinner on the table, let alone remember to take a photo and post about it. But, here I am again. I hope to resume my weekly posting for the remainder of the season, even if that seems like quite a daunting task.

In the meantime, here's some photos of things we've made that I didn't have time to blog about.

Delicious medium rare (oh how I missed that while pregnant!) burgers made with Thousand Hills ground beef.



Coconut Curry - One of our favorite curry recipes from All Recipes.




Rhubarb Galette - This one looked a little better than it tasted.






Friday Night Pizza: Golden Beets, Artichoke Hearts, Capers, Banana Peppers, Feta



Stuffed Figs - I wish I could eat this through the screen. I absolutely love figs.




Friday Night Pizza: Figs, Goat Cheese, Prosciutto, Arugula

Box #7, #8, and #9

I'm finally catching up on blogging! The good news is that we're plowing through our veggies but just haven't had time to document it all.

Sadly, we gave our box #7 to friends since we were out of town. The box contained one of my favorites - sugar snap peas. Our friends just had to mention they were the best they've ever had. *sigh*

We made a stop home during vacation (between Michigan and going back to Wisconsin for a long weekend at the cabin) just for our veggies. We used some veggies at the cabin but the rest were left at home. The week following the 4th, Owen was really sick and I can't even remember what we made to eat but I do know that we used a lot of veggies. So, that week is forever lost. But here are the few things that we documented making with boxes 8 and 9.

Traditional Caesar Salad
(recipe from Allrecipes.com)

This was our first attempt at making a traditional caesar salad. We don't order them at restaurants unless we know they're the real deal. None of that creamy white "dressing", please.




2 cloves garlic, crushed
6 tablespoons safflower oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon mustard powder
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 (2 ounce) can anchovy filets
1 egg
1 French baguette, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
4 tablespoons melted butter
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
1 large head romaine lettuce - rinsed, dried, and torn into bite-size pieces
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C).
2. Prepare the dressing in a glass jar by combining the garlic, oil, salt, mustard, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne, and lemon juice. Rinse anchovy filets under warm water, pat dry on paper towels, and roughly chop them. Place anchovy in jar with other ingredients. Cover with tight fitting lid and shake to mix.
3. To coddle the egg, bring 2 inches of water to a boil in a small saucepan. Carefully lower egg into water; remove from heat and let stand for 1 minute. Remove and set aside to cool. Crack open the egg and with a spoon, scrape out all yolk (even the runny white). Use a wire whisk and whip in a small bowl until very frothy. Pour egg to the rest of the dressing and mix well.
4. Prepare the croutons by combining the bread cubes, melted butter, Italian seasoning, Worcestershire sauce and 1 tablespoon grated cheese. Toss well to coat bread, then place in a single layer on a 10x15 inch jelly roll pan and bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes.
5. Prepare salad in a large bowl by combining the romaine, 1/2 cup grated cheese, dressing and croutons to taste. Toss well to coat and serve.

Baked Rigatoni with Italian Sausage and Fennel
(Recipes from Allrecipes.com)

This is one of my favorite pasta bake recipes. I feel the need to pause for a moment and explain my obsession with Allrecipes.com. While there's a lot of crap on there, you can also find some hidden treasures. I love reading the reviews and seeing how people manipulate the recipe to make it better. We found this recipe last year and have made it several times.



1 pound hot Italian sausage links
1 (16 ounce) package rigatoni pasta
1 (24 ounce) jar marinara sauce
1 bulb fennel, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 roasted red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves (we use a lot more)
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup grated Asiago cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until almost tender, about 10 minutes.
2. Fry the sausages in a large skillet over medium heat, turning frequently until cooked through, about 15 minutes. Remove from the skillet, cool slightly and slice into rounds. Add the garlic, fennel and onion to the skillet and season with salt and pepper. Cook and stir for about 5 minutes, then add the roasted red peppers, basil, sliced sausage and pasta sauce. Heat through over low heat until warmed.
3. Combine the pasta with the sauce and vegetables in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Spread the mozzarella, Parmesan and Asiago cheeses over the top. Garnish with a few fennel leaves left from the bulb. Cover with aluminum foil.
4. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, then remove the aluminum foil. Set the oven to broil, and cook for another 5 minutes or until cheese is browned.

Grilled Pizza with Beets and Goat Cheese
(Found through random google search on cookingequipment.about.com)

I love finding recipes that use not only the root but also the greens. We are doing so much better this year using all the vegetables, including the green tops. And combining beets with goat cheese is just heavenly. Our favorite pizza dough recipe can be found in Baking Illustrated.



1 pound beets with greens
Extra virgin olive oil ( 3 to 4 tablespoons, divided)
Salt and pepper
1 shallot, minced
Dough for 1 pizza, either homemade or store bought
All-purpose flour, semolina or cornmeal, for dusting
4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

1. Preheat oven to 375˚F. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil. Cut beet greens from the beets and reserve. Trim the stems from the beets and peel them. Then cut them into 1/2 inch cubes and spread them on the foil-lined pan. (Some juice will come off on your hands and the cutting board, but you can get most of it off if you wash your hands and any surfaces right away) Drizzle the beets with about 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with salt and papper, stirring or tossing with a spatula to coat completely. Loosely cover the pan with another sheet of aluminum foil and cook in the oven for 40 minutes to 1 hour, removing the foil after about 20 minutes. Beets should be tender when pierced with a fork. Reserve until you're ready to assemble the pizza.

2. Meanwhile, remove any tough stems from the beet greens and roughly chop them. Wash them thoroughly and dry them in a salad spinner or by squeezing them gently in a clean dishtowel. In a skillet heat about 1 tablespoon olive oil, tilting pan to spread over the bottom of the pan. Add the shallot and saute over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the shallot is translucent. Add the greens and cook, turning with a spatula, until they begin to wilt down. Cover the pan and cook over low heat for 5 minutes, until wilted and tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. Make your pizza dough. Dust the pan with flour or cornmeal and form the dough on the pan. Brush the pizza with olive oil, and evenly spread the roasted beets and beet greens over the pizza. Sprinkle evenly with crumbled goat cheese. If using a pizza peel and a stone, carefully slide the pizza off the peel onto the pizza stone. If using a pan, place pan in the oven. Bake at 400˚F for 10 to 15 minutes, until exposed crust is turning golden and firm, and goat cheese is beginning to turn light golden. Let pizza rest for a few minutes, then cut into wedges.

Grilled Pork Chop with Grilled Summer Sqaush and Cabbage Slaw
(Slaw recipe from ... can you guess? Allrecipes.com)




Mike's Mom has made this slaw many times since I've known her and it's absolutely delicious. I can't find the exact recipe we used (I think we just adapt whatever recipe we can find).

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 (3 ounce) package chicken flavored ramen noodles, crushed, seasoning packet reserved
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
1/4 cup sliced almonds (toasted, if you prefer)
1/2 medium head cabbage, shredded
5 green onions, chopped

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, sugar, ramen noodle spice mix (we did not include this), salt and pepper to create a dressing.
2. In a large salad bowl, combine the cabbage, green onions and crushed ramen noodles. Pour dressing over the cabbage, and toss to coat evenly. Top with toasted sesame seeds and almonds.