About Bunched Beets with Greens

golden beets, chioggia beets, and red beets bunched with greensBeet greens are often discarded in favor of their roots, which is unfortunate, because they contain a wonderful, earthy flavor and are highly nutritious. Use them as you would chard or spinach.

Beets are very low in cholesterol, and they are a good source of vitamin C, iron, magnesium, folate, potassium, manganese, and dietary fiber. They are especially good for cardiovascular health due to certain unique pigment antioxidants in the root, as well as in the green tops that have been found to protect against coronary artery disease and stroke, and lower cholesterol levels within the body. They are also reputed to provide relief for women from menstrual cramps.

Beet greens have almost twice the potassium of beet roots and higher amounts of beta carotene, an important antioxidant that helps fight numerous diseases. So eating both the root and the greens is especially nutritious—not to mention delicious!

To store beets, separate the leaves from the root, leaving an inch or two of the stems attached to the root. Remove any leaves that are damaged before storing the tops in a loosely wrapped plastic bag or a clean wet dish towel in the crisper section of the refrigerator, for no more than a few days. Roots should also be stored similarly—if left in the crisper unwrapped, they will quickly dehydrate and become soft.

Have you tried this recipe? Tell us how it turned out!

Roasted Beet Salsa with Skillet-Browned Broccoli/Cauliflower Salsa

rainbow beet waterfall4 medium beets, any kind
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 teaspoons shallots, finely diced
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated
1 teaspoon jalapeño pepper, finely diced
1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh mint, minced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, minced
2 teaspoons lime juice

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Trim the tops off the beets and drizzle with the olive oil. Season the beets with salt and pepper, wrap them in aluminum foil and roast until tender, about 40-50 minutes. Let cool in the foil.

While the beets are roasting, place the shallot, jalapeno, ginger, garlic, mint, cilantro, lime juice and 6 tablespoons of olive oil in a small bowl and stir to combine.

When the beets are done, carefully remove the foil. Peel them by slipping the skins off with your fingers. Dice the beets and add salsa mixture, stirring to combine. Taste for seasoning. Served on a bed of arugula or spinach.

Browned Broccoli/Cauliflower
2 tablespoons oil
2 large stems broccoli
1 large cauliflower
2 to 3 cloves garlic

Heat a skillet over medium heat. While it’s heating, slice the garlic, broccoli and cauliflower from top to bottom into 1 inch slices. Toss in olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the veggies in a hot skillet, pressing them into the pan with a spatula. Cook them for 5 to 7 minutes, or until nicely browned. Once cooked, serve with shredded carrots or radishes.

Have you tried this recipe? Tell us how it turned out!

Fudgy Vegan Double Chocolate Beet Muffins

Sliced beetsPrep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Total Time 28 minutes

Servings: 12

2 flax eggs (2T flax meal + 5T water), or sub Nash’s chicken eggs
1 cup beet purée
1/4 cup maple syrup or agave nectar (sub honey if not vegan)
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp sea salt
1.5 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup melted coconut oil or vegan butter (such as Earth Balance)
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/3 cups Nash’s soft white wheat flour
1/3 cup dairy-free semisweet chocolate chips + more for topping

Roast the beets. Otherwise, you could sub another fruit puree, such as butternut squash or applesauce.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C) and line 12 muffins with paper liners, or lightly grease.

Prepare flax eggs in a large mixing bowl and let rest for 5 minutes.

Add beet puree, melted oil, maple syrup or agave, brown sugar, baking soda, salt and whisk for 45 seconds.

Stir in the almond milk and whisk once more.

Add cocoa powder and flours and stir with a spoon or spatula until just combined, being careful not to over-mix. If the batter appears too thick, add a touch more almond milk. But it should be quite thick and NOT pourable – rather, scoopable.

Lastly, stir in chocolate chips. Then divide batter evenly between muffin tins (should be enough for between 11-12) and sprinkle with a few more chocolate chips (optional but recommended).

Bake for 17-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool for a few minutes in the pan, remove from tins and let cool on a cooling rack. Will keep covered for several days. Freeze for longer-term storage.

We thank the Minimalist Baker for this recipe.

Have you tried this recipe? Tell us how it turned out!

Eating with Kids: Healthy Baby Foods

Local Winter Foods: Baby Foods

Originally published in Peninsula Families Today, an advertising supplement produced by Peninsula Daily News and Sequim Gazette

Anything parents can do to establish healthy eating habits in their children is a gift that will last them a lifetime. Winter is a great time of year to have fun with kids in the kitchen, cultivating positive feelings about cooking their own meals and using healthy ingredients. Delicious local root vegetables and greens will boost their immune systems during the colder months, and to help kids grow healthy and strong!

On the Olympic Peninsula, area farmers still harvest fresh local food in the winter, thanks to the unique year-round growing climate, and sheer determination. You can find winter roots, such as carrots, beets and parsnips that can be grated into salads and sandwiches, diced into soups, steamed or roasted.

The colder it gets, the sweeter some veggies become! They produce sugars that act as an antifreeze to protect their cell structure when the temperature drops below freezing. Kales, collards, carrots, Brussels sprouts, and parsnips all get a little sweeter in the winter months. So give your kid a local carrot to crunch on, maybe dipped in peanut butter, hummus or a yogurt-based dip for added nutrition. Carrots can also be blended into smoothies, steamed and mashed into baby foods, or juiced.

Carrots
One of the healthiest ways to cook carrots is simple and really makes their flavor pop. Chop a carrot into ¼-inch matchstick pieces or rounds, and then steam them for five minutes. When they are easily pierced with a fork, toss them in a bowl, and drizzle with some olive oil and lemon juice, plus a bit of salt and pepper.

Beets
Also in season are beautiful red, golden and Chiogga beets. Take full advantage of their antioxidants and vitamins by grating them raw onto salads. Or watch your kids make them disappear into their bellies when steamed or roasted. To roast, lightly coat bite-sized pieces of beets with vegetable oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, layer on a baking sheet, and roast in a high oven (400°F) for 15 minutes. Turn and roast again until tender and slightly caramelized. Remove and allow to cool so the kids can pick them up with their fingers.

Winter Squash
Winter squashes are really packed with the vitamins, and kids will have fun picking out colorful varieties and helping you prepare them. Knock off the stem with the butt of a big knife, or a hammer. Then bring a chair to the sink and let your child scrub the skin. Place the squash on a pie plate or baking dish, and bake it whole in the oven at 350°F until it’s tender all the way through. Many squashes, including delicata, butternut, buttercup and kabocha have edible skins. If the skin is tender when cooked, you can eat it!

Experiment with steamed squash or carrot toppings and explore different tastes with kids.  A drizzle of local raw honey, toasted sunflower seeds, nutritional yeast or sour cream are all fun to try.  Mix in some rice or quinoa and a few pinches of minced parsley or cilantro and see what they like!  Reintroducing new veggies several times, in several ways, can yield positive results.

Make your own baby food!

Baby food is a cinch this time of year. Cut squash, purple sweet potatoes, yams and carrots into chunks, and steam until tender. Then mash with a fork, or use a blender to whirl it all up. Thin with milk, water or broth as desired.

Making your own baby food means that baby is eating whole fresh foods with the rest of the family, without added sugars or preservatives.  It’s economical and easy to make a blender-full at a time and freeze leftovers into ice cube trays.   Then pop frozen cubes into freezer bags and label and simply thaw and reheat for a quick organic meal or snack.

Find local produce at the Port Angeles Farmers Market, open year-round on Saturdays, 10 am-2 pm, at the Gateway Center in downtown Port Angeles. You can also find it at local retailers and eateries.

Have you tried this recipe? Tell us how it turned out!

Beet Salad with Ricotta Salata and Hazelnuts

1/4 cup lemon juice (from Meyer lemons, if possible)
1/4 cup hazelnut or olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
6 small beets, peeled and sliced very thin
1/2 cup crumbled ricotta salata cheese
1/4 cup torn mint leaves
1/2 cup roughly chopped toasted hazelnuts

Whisk together lemon juice, oil, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add beets and toss to coat evenly. Sprinkle with remaining ingredients and serve.

We thank myrecipes.com for this recipe.

Have you tried this recipe? Tell us how it turned out!

Summer Grain Salad

This recipe calls for Nash’s triticale berries (above), but actually any of our organic whole grain berries, i.e., soft white or hard red wheat, rye, or hard white, would work. The cooking instructions are the same. The grains add a delightful chewy texture and protein to a salad that is already teeming with good stuff for your health.

All ingredients are optional, and quantities are suggestions, not rules. Feel free to add other ingredients, like cauliflower or spinach. For even more flavor, add herbs like parsley, basil or dill. The quantities can easily be increased for summertime parties.

Veggies
1/2 pound triticale berries or other wheat berries
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes or regular-sized heirloom tomatoes, chopped
1 cucumber, chopped
1/2 bunch of your favorite kale, coarsely chopped
1 head broccoli, chopped
1/2 Walla Walla sweet onion (or sweet red onion)
2 carrots, shredded
1 beet (any variety), shredded

Dressing
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon
2 clovers garlic, chopped

Soak the triticale berries overnight. The next day, drain the triticale berries, then add enough fresh water to cover them with about 1″ of water. Boil about 1 hour until berries are plump and chewy. Drain and cool.

In the meantime, chop your veggies. Once the triticale berries cool, mix the dressing ingredients together and pour over the berries, then add your veggies and mix everything together.

Let the flavors mingle for a few hours in the fridge before serving.

Thanks, Rachel Covault, packing shed manager, for this great recipe idea!

Have you tried this recipe? Tell us how it turned out!

Raw Beet Salad with Creamy Dill Dressing

These bullsblood beets combine a sweet, red root with intensely deep-maroon leaves and vibrant, merlot-colored stems.

It’s easy to make a fresh crunchy salad with a lot of flavor!

1 lb. beets
1 minced shallot
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
¼ cup sour cream
Lemon juice to taste
Chopped dill

Grate the beets. Combine shallot, Dijon mustard, sour cream, lemon juice and dill in bowl and whisk together with a fork until smooth. Combine with beets. Chill in the fridge for about a half hour to blend the flavors. Use leftover dill to garnish the salad.

Recipe adapted from cooking.nytimes.com.

Have you tried this recipe? Tell us how it turned out!

Kia’s One Pot Buttery Beets & Pasta

After a day of summer camp and sprinklers, my kids needed some nutritious refueling. I had some fresh beets with greens on hand, which inspired this quick, one pot dish for dinner. Colorful beets are high in phytonutrient pigments, and rich in antioxidants. They’re also high in folate and a B vitamin important for a healthy heart and for normal tissue growth. Hooray for beets!

2-4 beets with greens
6-8 ounces pasta
Baby dill (or cilantro or basil)
Butter

Prep your veggies
Scrub beets clean, then chop into 1/2 inch slices (no need to peel!).

Rinse the beet greens and thinly slice them, stems and all.

Mince up a few big pinches of baby dill, or more if desired.

Cook everything in one pot
Get a medium pot of water boiling, and add the beets.

After 3-5 minutes, add the pasta to the beets, and note cooking time (my spaghetti package said 3-4 minutes). After 2 minutes, add the beet greens and dill. Stir pot occasionally.

When pasta has cooked, pour the whole pot through a fine meshed strainer so you don’t loose the greens and herbs. Transfer the pasta and veggies back into your cooking pot, but remove from heat.

Add two or three tablespoons of butter, more the better! Stir everything together and season with salt and pepper. You can also add cheese if desired, but we skipped it and the kids still devoured their dinner. Sweet, nutritious beets for the win!

Have you tried this recipe? Tell us how it turned out!

Rutabaga Borscht

Rutabagas in a basket

What to do with a basket full of rutabagas?

2 Tbsp oil or butter
1 1/2 chopped onion
1 1/2 cups chopped potatoes
1 or more cup chopped beets
1 large carrot sliced
1 stalk of celery sliced
3 cups chopped rutabaga
1 cup tomato, diced or puréed
1 tsp caraway seed
4 cups stock (veggie or chicken)
2 tsp salt
Black pepper to taste
1/4 tsp dill weed
2 Tbsp cider vinegar
1 1/2 Tbsp honey

Sautee onions in oil or butter. Add caraway and salt.  When soft add the other veggies, stock/water and remaining ingredients.  Simmer until tender for at least 30 minutes. Whiz in the blender until smooth.  Serve with sour cream or yogurt dollop on top.

We thank Pam & Liam Antrim for this recipe.

Have you tried this recipe? Tell us how it turned out!

Beet Citrus Soup

golden beets

Pair these sunny golden beets with lemon and grapefruit!

1 bunch beets, 1/2-inch cubed (about 5 cups)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1 tablespoon butter
1 small onion, roughly diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 apple, roughly diced
1 quart vegetable broth
Juice from 1/4 grapefruit slice
Juice from 1/4 lemon slice
Sour cream or plain yogurt for topping

Preheat oven to 400° F. Place beets in roasting pan and add olive oil and 14 teaspoon salt; mix until evenly coated. Cover and roast for 25 to 30 minutes.

Heat butter in pot over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add apples and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes more. Add beets, broth, grapefruit juice, lemon juice and remaining salt. Bring to a boil, and then simmer for 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Allow soup to cool before pureeing with an immersion blender to a thick, smooth consistency. Top with a dollop of sour cream or plain yogurt.

We thank Virginia Newman for this recipe.

Have you tried this recipe? Tell us how it turned out!

Walnut Beet Patties

Sliced beets1 1/2 cups quinoa
2 cups vegetable broth
2 medium onions, finely diced
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (or lemon juice)
4 teaspoons dried oregano*
4 teaspoons dried basil*
4 teaspoons dried thyme*
2 teaspoons paprika
3/4 pound carrots (about 3 medium), grated
1 1/4 pounds (about 3-4 medium) beets, grated
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/2 teaspoon pepper or to taste
1/4 cup arrowroot powder
3/4 pounds walnuts, chopped in food processor
Extra virgin coconut oil for frying

Rinse quinoa and place it in a small pot with the broth. Cover and bring to a boil; let simmer for about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it sit for another 20 minutes. Allow to cool.

Sauté onions in olive oil for about 5 minutes. Add the balsamic vinegar and herbs and sauté another 5 minutes. Grate the beets and carrots.

In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Season with salt and pepper. Form into 15 to 20 patties. Over medium heat, fry the patties in a little coconut oil until lightly brown, about 7 minutes on each side. Transfer to a baking tray and continue cooking in the oven for another 15 – 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Serve warm or let them cool. Got extra patties? They freeze well!

*If fresh herbs are available, you only need 1 1/2 teaspoons of the fresh herb.

Have you tried this recipe? Tell us how it turned out!