Feast'o'Beets

So often in the kitchen I find myself wasting so much food. Whether it is from ambitious market shopping with eyes bigger than my tummy, or if I only use one part of a veggie, one way or another I know I am contributing to the waste of a lot of useful nutrients.

Today was different. I went to the market, inspired by the bounty and look of large bunches of beets I bought bright red beets with greens attached: just the way they were pulled out of the ground! I've made beet dishes before and I have also actually bought beet greens as a solo produce item before, but today I decided to integrate the whole vegetable into a feast'o'beats-- eating the beet from head to toe:root to tip top leaf.

For this feast'o'beats I invited my friends Dave and Rick over. Menu included butter sauted beets with orange juice, Beet greens sauted with olive oil, onions, rosemary, red pepper flakes, cannallini beans, and sprinkled with bacon and parmesan cheese.

OJ Beets

- Wash and peel a big bunch of big beets, then shred - real easy if you have a cuisine art

- Melt butter in pan, add beets, saute until beets are soft- but still have a little bite.

- add orange juice.

- you can also add a dollop of creme fresh at the end for an extra treat

Beet Greens'n'Beans

- Saute Diced onion in olive oil until translucent, add rosemary, red pepper flakes and white wine, reduce down until jammy

- add chopped up beet greans, Cover with lid until greens are wilted

- add can of cannalini beans untill heated

- top with crumbled bacon and parmesan cheese.

Mushroom Madness

It is spring and the Fungi keep popping up in the yard and in the farmer's markets around town. I am a lover of all things fungus related: morels, portobella mushrooms, and truffles. Last night my friend Malea and I took a trip to the farmer's market by my office, picked up two crops that are in their prime right now: portobella mushrooms and asparagus. I am also super excited, I bought a cherokee purple tomato plant - my favorite heirloom ever!!!

Portobella Mushroom Cream Sauce

- Saute Garlic in olive oil, add pinch of red pepper flakes, and pinch of fresh rosemary

- chop up to portobella caps and add to saute pan, add chopped sun-dried tomatoes

- simmer until portobella reduces in size and become s super moist, add a splash of water or white wine

- take about 3/4s of this mixture pure with a bit of cream

- add pureed portion back to pan and add frozen baby peas

- Add slabs of butter and wisk in cream

- add chopped up spinach and simmer until wilted.

Serve over homemade pasta and top with grated parmesean cheese

YUM!!



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