salad lunch

beet green pasta

As a kid, if anyone asked me what I wanted for dinner I had one answer: spaghetti. We always made it with red sauce, usually with hamburger, always with copious amounts of dried oregano and scoops of dried parmesan. Once I got a bit older my palette matured and I realized pasta could be served with something other than marinara (thanks Gabby!) and I was introduced to real, fresh parmesan.

Every two weeks when I get my CSA box (or the weekend before when I get the contents list) I make a quick assessment about what I must eat in the next couple of days and what can wait. On the top of the eat soon list are a variety of greens. Not usually lettuce, that keeps for a bit, but things like chard, kale, carrot tops and beet greens. My box this week contains kale, carrot tops, and beets. First on the eat list are the beet greens - they have the shortest shelf life. The beets keep uncooked for a while but the tops will wilt immediately. I usually go ahead and roast the beat (I prefer to eat them cold, so they are ready in the fridge for eating). I also remove the carrot tops and prep them by washing and either immediately make pesto (which is my fail-safe) or keep them in the spinner in the fridge for a day until I have time to use them.

Beet Green Pasta

onion, sliced

garlic, peeled

basil, fresh

olive oil

beet greens, tops of 3 small beats washed, dried and chopped

salt & pepper, to taste

whole wheat pasta

parmesan

Slowly saute the onion with olive oil over med-low heat until they are well browned. Add the cloves of garlic and the beet greens. Add salt, pepper, and more olive oil as desired/needed. Cover than cook slowly until greens are limp. Add basil. Meanwhile cook pasta in boiling water to al dente. When pasta is done, drain and add to sauce pan. Stir. Cook for another minute. Serve with parmesan. Yield: 2 large portions

golden beets

I love roasted beets. I usually buy golden beets because they don't dye your hands (or urine!) the same way red beets can. You can sometimes find them at the grocery, but I can always find them at the farmers market. Summer is beet season and they are making their way to the farmers markets around me.

To roast beets, cut away greens (reserve and eat separately). Place beetroot in a baking dish with a small amount of water. Cover dish. Place dish in 375 deg. F oven for about 45 minutes until knife easily pierces beet. (Cooking time will depend on size of beet...). If you're not eating right away, place in fridge. When ready to eat, slip off skins under cool running water. Slice and drizzle with vinegar and sprinkle with salt and pepper. I usually roast in advance and eat beets cold.

*Try beets even if you don't like them... pickled beets aren't very good (what you usually find in salad bars) and they are better roasted than boiled (IMO), although boiling is a common preparation method.

Beet Greens.

This past weekend I bought some golden beets at the farmer's market. I love roasted beets (and all of you beet haters, try them. They're great). On top are these great beet greens which you should eat too (they are especially rich in vitamins A & K and anti-oxidants beta carotene and lutein). Young greens can be eaten raw, but older greens should be cooked. When buying, look for fresh, healthy looking greens, much like with any other green/lettuce. The greens can substitute for spinach in any recipe.

Beet Greens

~10 cups of beet greens, well washed

3 garlic cloves, chopped

2 T. ginger, chopped

1 T. oil

1 t. fish sauce

1 t. soy sauce

1 t. rice vinegar

sesame seeds

red pepper flakes

Wash greens well and chop them. Include stems. Dry well. Heat oil in wok and cook garlic and ginger for 30 seconds. Add greens and stir well. As the greens cook add fish sauce, soy sauce, and rice vinegar. Cook until greens are wilted. Serve with sesame seeds and red pepper flakes.

moroccan salads

A couple of summers ago I spent a month in Morocco traveling and eating. Typically with your meal you chose a salade au maroc or harira. I (nearly) always chose the soup and craved the salad. I was warned to avoid uncooked foods, and although the salad was mostly cooked it wasn't completely. You see their are some issues with water for foreigners (but if you spend a lot of time their you can learn to stomach des microbes). My first meal outside of Morocco (in Madrid) was a giant salad and since then I have been making my own version of salade au maroc at home. 

What I saw was an artists palette of veggies. As a base were greens, topped with cold (canned?) tuna in the center, surrounded by a boiled egg, potato salad, carrot salad, beet salad, and tomato salad. This was fairly consistent at every restaurant (my traveling companion ordered many salads and was the worse for wear). Each salad is cooked with a dressing (with the exception the tomato, which was not cooked) and then served cold. 

My favorite salad is the potato, which surprised me in Morocco as I have never been a fan of potato salad. The recipe I have is for boiled baby potatoes and a dressing made of red onions, garlic, saffron (soaked in water), white wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, cilantro (coriander), mint, and salt n' pepper.