Mixed Summer Vegetables with Feta

I love shopping for vegetables in the summer. I go to the farm stand and buy whatever is beautiful. This week, the beets and I fell in love.

I know what you're thinking: beets are gross. My question to you: on what beets are you basing your judgment? Those slimy canned discs are NOT beets - they're aliens! Grab some fresh ones from your local farmers' market, boil them, and enjoy their delicious sweet flavor.

• 4 small/medium beets, washed and greens removed
• 1 yellow squash, halved lengthwise and sliced (into half-moon shape)
• olive oil
• red or white wine vinegar
• salt
• freshly ground pepper
• 2 vine ripe tomatoes, cut into small wedges
• 3-4 oz. feta cheese, crumbled or broken into small pieces

1. Place beets in small pot of water and bring to a boil. Cook until tender.
2. While beets are cooking, heat up grill or flat top griddle to medium heat.
3. Spear squash slices onto kabobs.
4. Place kabobs on grill. Drizzle with both olive oil and vinegar. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
5. Cook 8-10 minutes on each side, until charred.
6. Place squash in serving bowl to cool.
7. When beets are done, slice in half horizontally, then into small chunks. Let cool, then add to serving bowl.
8. Add tomatoes and feta.
9. Toss gently and serve at room temperature.

Borscht. Yes, Really.

One of my 2010 food goals was to make borscht, if for no other reason than to say that I tried it. I'm not a big fan of cold soups, so I was very excited to find that there are many different ways to serve borscht. In many cultures, borscht is served cold like gazpacho but it is just as often served hot. In the same fashion, some recipes recommend pureeing the vegetables so the soup is a creamy consistency, while others want the vegetables left chunky. 

The recipe offered below is a chunky soup, served hot. The potatoes are cut into small, bite-sized pieces for ease in both cooking and eating. The beets and onion are shredded, so a food processor's shredder attachment will make your life easier for that step. No matter what type of vegetables you add, they'll all be stained purple by the end for a very unique dish. Also, the lemon juice is necessary to create the acidic or sour taste that is essential to the overall flavor of the dish.

Based on a recipe from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything.

Ingredients

(for gluten-free meal, use gluten-free broth)

(for vegan or dairy-free meal, omit sour cream) 

• olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3-4 potatoes, chopped into small pieces (regular or sweet potatoes)
• 6 cups vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
• 1 bunch beets (6 or so), peeled and greens removed
• 1/2 red onion
• 1 tsp kosher salt (less if using table salt) 
• 10 grinds freshly ground pepper (about 1 tsp)
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tsp. dried dill
• 1 egg
• sour cream, for garnish (optional)

Directions

1. Heat olive oil over medium heat. 
2. Add garlic and potatoes. Cook for about a minute.
3. Add broth. Increase heat to high and bring soup to a boil, then turn heat back to medium-low. Cook for about 7-8 minutes.
4. While potatoes are cooking, shred beets and onion in food processor. Add to soup when ready.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook on medium low until all vegetables are tender.
6. Add lemon juice.
7. Scramble egg in small bowl. Add spoonful of soup to egg, stir well, then drizzle back into pot of soup while stirring. 
8. Serve immediately with sour cream if desired.

Pinto Bean Chili

This entry is my praise for beets. No, keep reading! Most people who dislike beets have based this judgment on their experience with canned beets, which are far removed from the actual fresh root vegetable. Fresh beets, when cooked, taste a lot like carrots - they are a touch sweet and taste lovely with a little salt. 

I've never seen golden beets in the store, but regular beets are just as beautiful, with deep purple rings inside. The beets really make this recipe stand out, so I encourage you to include them if you can find them at your local farmer's market or farm stand.

Included are a few photos of the gorgeous golden beets I used in this chili recipe!

I must thank Sarah + Ryan, my friends who sent me a beautiful shipment of fresh organic fruits and veggies after my surgery. It really inspired me to cook again, especially since the shipment came with a recipe to use the vegetables included in the package! I worked from this recipe, which came from the Fruit Guys.

Ingredients

olive oil

1 Vidalia (yellow) or white onion, chopped

2 tsp chili powder

2 cups vegetable (or chicken) broth

1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into small pieces

2 medium beets (golden or regular), peeled and cut into small pieces

2 medium tomatoes, cored and roughly chopped (I used vine ripened)

1/2 cup salsa

1 medium zucchini, ends removed, quartered lengthwise, and chopped into small pieces

1/2 bunch collard greens, stems removed and roughly chopped

2 cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained

zest of 1/2 orange, grated

salt and pepper, to taste

sour cream or cheddar cheese for topping, optional**

**Leave this ingredient out for a completely vegan meal.

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in stockpot over medium-high heat.
2. Add onion and saute until onion starts to brown, about 4-5 minutes.
3. Add chili powder and stir for another 1 minute.
4. Add broth, yams, and beets. Cover pan and reduce heat to medium. Simmer for about 10 minutes, until beets and yams are almost tender.
5. Add zucchini, collard greens, tomatoes, and salsa. Recover pot and simmer for 4-5 minutes.
6. Add pinto beans. Simmer, uncovered, until chili starts to thicken a little and yams and beets are very tender, about 15 minutes.
7. Add orange peel, salt, and pepper.
8. Serve topped with a dollop or sour cream or sprinkling of cheddar cheese, if desired.

 Comments

This turned out to be more like a ratatouille than a chili, in my opinion. However it was delicious, not too spicy, and tasted great with the marble rye bread we served with it. I'm sure you could spice it up by using a hotter salsa or letting each guest season it to their taste with Tabasco sauce.