Celery Root & Beet Salad

Use chioggia beets in your salads for their cheery red-and-white-striped flair.

6 medium beets (2 1/4 lb with greens), trimmed, leaving 1 inch of stems attached
1 (1 lb) celery root (sometimes called celeriac)
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, additional to taste
2 tablespoons minced shallot
1/4 cup olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (2 ounces), toasted and cooled

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 425°F.

Wrap beets tightly in foil to make 2 packages (3 beets in each) and roast until tender, about 1 1/4 hours.

While beets roast, peel celery root with a sharp knife and cut into 1/8-inch-thick matchsticks. Whisk together lemon juice, shallot, oil, salt, and pepper to taste in a large bowl until combined well, then add celery root and toss until coated. Keep at room temperature, covered, until ready to add beets.

Carefully unwrap beets and, when just cool enough to handle, slip off skins and remove stems. Cut beets into 1/8-inch-thick matchsticks and toss with celery root.

Let salad stand, covered, at room temperature 1 hour. Taste salad and season with more lemon juice and salt if necessary, then toss with walnuts.

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Posted on February 9, 2015

Roasted Beets with Balsamic Glaze

Beets me why you wouldn’t try roasting beets with a balsamic glaze.

1 1/2 pounds beets
1 tablespoon olive oil mixed with 2 tablespoons water
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
Salt and pepper

Rinse beets well, but do not peel. If they are large, cut into chunks about the same size. Place in shallow baking dish and pour the oil/water mixture over and toss to coat completely. Cover and bake until the beets are tender when pierced with a fork, 35-55 minutes. Remove from oven, uncover and let cool for 10 minutes.

In a small saucepan, stir together the vinegar and brown sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Boil until reduced by one-third, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Slice the beets into thin slices. Place the beets in a warmed serving bowl and drizzle with the balsamic glaze. Season with salt and pepper and enjoy!

We thank Susan Molin for this recipe.

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Posted on February 9, 2015

Bay Leaf Beet Soup

A bunch of golden beets

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Wrap beets in foil.

Bake the beets until tender, about 1 hour; allow to cool, then peel the beets. Cut them into bite-size chunks.

Heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat and cook the red onion, leek, and garlic until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Pour in the vegetable broth, and mix in the beets, bay leaves, cinnamon, salt, black pepper, oregano, basil, cinnamon, cumin, and tarragon. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until the flavors of the bay leaves and spices are blended, 20 to 25 minutes. Pick out bay leaves.

Ladle about 1/4 of the beets into a blender, and add soup liquid as needed to fill the blender about 1/4 full. Hold down the lid of the blender with a folded kitchen towel, and carefully start the blender, using a few quick pulses to get the beets and broth moving before leaving it on to puree. Puree the beets until smooth, and pour back into the soup.

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Posted on February 9, 2015

Sunchoke Soup with Brussels Sprouts

Did you know that sunchokes can make the base for a lovely soup? Try it yourself!

1 1/2 pounds sunchokes, scrubbed, dark spots removed
5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large shallot, finely chopped
2 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 can (13.5 ounce) coconut milk
1 quart vegetable broth
1 1/4 cups sliced brussels sprouts
1/4 cup chopped roasted hazelnuts

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coarsely chop sunchokes and place in bowl. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Toss to coat evenly. Spread sunchokes on two large rimmed baking sheets. Roast until tender.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a pot over medium heat and add shallot. Cook, stirring frequently, until softened but not browned, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.Stir in coconut milk and broth and bring to a simmer.

Heat remaining oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook brussels sprouts, stirring occasionally, until softened and starting to brown. Transfer roasted sunchokes to broth and blend, using an immersion blender or regular blender in batches until smooth. Add more liquid if necessary and season to taste with salt. Ladle into 6 bowls and top each with some sprouts, hazelnuts and a thin drizzle of olive oil.

We thank Sunset Magazine for this recipe.

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Posted on February 5, 2015

Roasted Vegetable Bisque

1 bunch leeks, quartered
2-3 turnips, cut into 1″ cubes
2-4 carrots, quartered
2-4 stalks celery, quartered
1 bulb garlic, raw, cloves separated, paper and skin removed
2 tablespoons olive oil
2-3 cups broth (whatever kind you prefer)
1-2 cups water

Place prepared vegetables and olive oil in plastic bag and toss to coat evenly. Place on ungreased baking sheet and spread out so they don’t touch. Roast 15 minutes at 425 F, turn over, and roast another 15 minutes until golden brown (caramelized) on both sides.
Transfer roasted vegetables to soup pot. Add broth and enough water to cover vegetables. Bring to a gentle boil, then simmer for 15-20 minutes. With ladle or measuring cup, transfer soup to food processor or blender and puree until smooth (may have to do in batches).

Serve in soup bowls and top with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream. Serves 4.

We thank Chef Annie McHale of Port Angeles for this recipe.

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Posted on January 14, 2015

Glazed Carrots and Brussels Sprouts Sauté

It’s easy and delicious to make food choices depending on what is being harvested now. Eating seasonally means you get the freshest produce with the smallest impact on the environment. Try this carrot-and-Brussels saute and taste how sweet these carrots get!

1 pound carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 pound cleaned Brussels sprouts
3/4 cup chicken or veggie broth
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Blanch carrots in salted water for about 4 minutes. Remove and cool. Blanch sprouts for about 5 minutes. Drain and hold separately. Refrigerate if making ahead.

Bring stock, butter, brown sugar, vinegar and salt to a boil and stir until sugar dissolves and mixture is reduced to about half. Add carrots and shake pan to coat them. Cook for about 6 minutes. Add the sprouts and pepper and cook 4 minutes more, stirring or shaking until all is coated thoroughly. Serve immediately.

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Posted on January 9, 2015

Garlic Salad Dressing

The raw garlic in this dressing gives you tons of health benefits — not to mention a tasty flavor!

Makes 3/4 cup

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, smooth or grainy
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon raw wine vinegar
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon expeller-pressed flax oil
1 clove garlic

Dip a fork into the jar of mustard and transfer about 1 tsp to a small bowl. Add vinegar and mix around. Add olive oil in a thin stream, stirring all the while with the fork, until oil is well mixed or emulsified. Add flax oil and use immediately. Peel garlic clove and mash into a garlic press or fine grater. Stir into dressing. Let site a few minutes to allow amalgamation of garlic flavor.

We thank Sally Fallon’s Nourishing Traditions for this recipe.

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Posted on January 5, 2015

How to Sprout Whole Wheat Berries

Sprouted wheat berries have a surprisingly high nutrient value. And they’re easy to make!

Place 1/4 cup wheat berries in a quart canning jar and fill with lukewarm water.

Place a double thickness of cheesecloth over the mouth and secure the jar with ring or rubber band.

Drain water through cheesecloth, fill again & let soak for 2 hours.

Drain, rinse again and drain.

Place jar on its side in a dark place.

Rinse and drain twice a day for 2-4 days, or until 2 cups of sprouts are formed. Place the sprouts in a colander, rinse with cold water, drain and store in a plastic bag in the fridge. Enjoy!

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Posted on January 5, 2015

Easy Street Beets

Beets can’t be easier than Easy Street Beets.

Remove beets from greens, leaving 1″ of stems. Wash beets under cool running water, then steam until easily pierced with a fork (20-35 minutes, depending on size). Rinse under cool water once done, and slip off skins. While the roots are steaming, wash the greens and saute them with a little olive oil until stems are tender. Slice beets and toss with balsamic vinaigrette and crumbled feta, and serve over warm beet greens.

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Posted on January 5, 2015

Roasted Beet Salsa with Skillet-Browned Broccoli

Beet salsa with broccoli? Oh yes please!

Roasted Beets
4 medium golden beets
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 teaspoons shallots, finely diced
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated
1 teaspoon jalapeño, 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
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.

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Posted on January 5, 2015