Pickled Beets and Shredded Carrots

Adapted from Simply in Season, serves 2-4
Date made: 4/20/2011

2 c beets*
1 c carrots, shredded*
1/3 c white wine vinegar
1/3 c brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 c beet juice (see below)

Scrub beets and leave on tails and 2-3 in of tops.  Place beets in pot and add water half-way up to beets.  Boil until fork-tender, 20-30 minutes.
Drain and set aside beet juice.  Run cold water over hot beets while sliding off skins with hands, and dice into small pieces.
Combine remaining ingredients except for the carrots into pot.  Add beets and bring to a boil.  Boil for 5 minutes and allow the sugar to dissolve.
Add carrots and allow to cool.  Keep refrigerated.

Pickled Radishes

Adapted from Hollygrove Market and Farm, serves 4
Date made: 4/20/2011

1/4 c white wine vinegar

1/4 c water

3 tablespoons sugar

1/2 tsp salt 

1 bunch radishes, quartered*

Bring all ingredients except radishes to a boil.  Pour over radishes.  Allow to sit till room temperature.

Refrigerate for up to a week.

Pretty simple!  I forgot the bay leaf in HMF recipe, but it still turned out okay.  Reminded me of the ban chan served in Korean cuisine.

Buttered Beans and Potatoes

Adapted from Hollygrove Market and Farm, serves 4
Date made: 4/19/2011

3-4 red skinned potatoes, diced*

1 lb fresh fava beans, shelled*

1/4 c butter

1 c vegetable stock

1/4 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

Bring diced potatoes to a boil.  Cook until fork-tender.

In a small saucepan melt butter. Add fresh beans/peas and cook for 5 mins.

Add chicke stock, thyme, salt and pepper. Bring beans to a simmer.

Cook till beans/peas are done 10-15 minutes. Add potatoes.

Another vegetable I've never heard of! (Fava beans)  I definitely would cut back on the butter next time -- a 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) is plenty!

Turnip Sweet Potato Gratin

Adapted from The Chubby Vegetarian, serves 2
Date made: 4/17/2011

3 small sweet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced*

5 small turnips, peeled and thinly sliced*

2 oz Parmesan cheese

1 egg

1/4 c milk*

1 tsp dried thyme

2 cloves garlic

salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 9-in loaf pan and start layering vegetables, alternating sweet potatoes and turnips between layers.

Sprinkle a little salt and pepper in every other layer.

Blend remaining ingredients in food processor until smooth. Pour mixture evenly over root vegetables. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes.

Uncover, drizzle with olive oil, and bake a 15 minutes longer.

Onion and Ricotta Omelette

Serves 1
Date made: 3/5/2011

4 egg whites*
1/4 c milk*
1/2 c onions, diced
2-3 Tbsp ricotta
1/2 tsp dried chives
1/2 tsp dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste

Saute onions in small skillet with 1 Tbsp olive oil or canola oil until soft.  Combine egg whites and milk and beat together until mixed well.
Spread out onions evenly over skillet.  Pour egg mixture over onions and allow to eggs to cook and harden.  When ready, flip over. Add ricotta, chives, oregano, salt, and pepper to one half of the omelette.
Fold uncovered side of omelette over the ricotta side.  Flip and cook as desired.


I had ricotta and egg whites left over from the gratin recipe, so I decided to make an omelette!  Not to brag or anything, but it was a pretty darn good omelette, a great way to start off the day!

Beet Green Gratin

Adapted from Food Network, serves 6-8
Date made: 4/4/2011

1 Tbsp butter
8 oz shiitake mushrooms*
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb beet greens, cleaned and picked*
4 egg yolks, beaten*
1 c ricotta
1/2 c Parmesan, grated
3/4 crumbled crackers
salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 375°F.  Melt butter in saucepan on medium heat.  Add mushrooms and garlic and sweat.  Add beet greens and mix well.
Remove pan from heat and season with salt and pepper.
In separate bowl, combine egg yolks, ricotta, Parmesan cheese, and 1/4 tsp of salt.  Combine everything and transfer to a lightly oiled 8x8 baking dish.
Top with crumbled crackers, cover and bake for 30 minutes.  Uncover, and bake for an additional 15 minutes.


YAY!  Hollygrove gave us eggs in our box this week!  I love how I can find recipes that somehow incorporate my Hollygrove produce.  I only wish that I could be this imaginative.

So I'm still not 100% sold on beets/beet greens.  However, I found it to be tasty enough, though the egg kind of threw me off a little bit.  Though my best friend came into town and said she thought it was pretty good, so I guess that's enough for me!

Orechiette with Red Peppers, Swiss Chard, and Parmesan Cheese

Adapted from the New York Times, serves 4
Date made: 4/4/2011

1 bunch Swiss chard, washed and stems removed*
olive oil
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 c Parmesan cheese, grated
12 oz. package of orechiette
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tsp dried oregano

Begin heating a large pot of water while stemming and washing the chard.  Fill a bowl with ice water.  When the water comes to boil, add salt and chard.
Blanch chard for 1-2 minutes, and transfer to ice water.
Drain and squeeze excess water.  Chop chard into medium-fine pieces, and keep pot of water at a simmer.
Heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil over medium heat in large skillet and add red pepper.  Stir often until tender, about 5-10 minutes.
Add garlic and salt to taste, stirring for about a minute.
Then stir in chard and oregano, and reduce heat to low.
Bring water back to a boil, and add pasta.  Add about 1/2 c of water to pan and stir in Parmesan cheese.  Drain pasta, and toss with chard, pepper, and cheese mixture.


So, yeah.  I forgot that I was making a half recipe, so only use half a package of orechiette!!!  Also, next time I would add the cheese after mixing the pasta with the chard and peppers.  Otherwise, the cheese melts and coagulates the shard and peppers, and they didn't really distribute well.  Other than that, I think it was rather tasty!