groundwork project: all about

Friday, July 6, 2012

all about beets

I really love beets.

This is a recent development. Until starting my internship I'd only had one or two chances to consume these lovely root veggies and I'd never encountered the greens. Both, in my mind, are excellent. But people seem to either hate them or adore them. True, they're quirky. The best way I can describe their flavor is "earthy." But I think generally when people dislike a food, or think they dislike a food, it's because the first time they had it (often as children) it was poorly prepared.

Beets are very closely related to chard; the one is cultivated mainly for its root and the other for its leaf. They come in a variety of colors and patterns: crimson, purple, white, gold, solid, stripped. They've been used in folk medicine as a treatment for fever, constipation, and a dressing for wounds. Also, they're a good source of folate, potassium, manganese, and betaine (the last of which is particularly good for digestion).

I have yet to really experiment with cooking beets. But so far this is what I do:

Separate the greens from the roots and chop the greens. Saute them in olive oil, along with garlic scapes or onions, until the leaves are well wilted. Plate them and top with a poached egg. Sprinkle on a little feta or goat cheese, if you like. Along with some homemade bread, this makes a very fine lunch.

The roots, the actual beets, I like roasted. They're like vegetable candy.
A few weeks ago I made a pizza of vegetables: sauteed chard and roasted zucchini, onions and beets with mozzarella sprinkled on top. The beets added a curious, but pleasant, sweetness among all the savory-ness.

I've also had them roasted on a salad, here. And golden ones, here.

Some things I'd like to try with beets:
Chocolate beet cake with beet cream frosting
Beet and cabbage coleslaw
Roasted beet and blood orange salad
Beet pasta with ricotta
Savory beet soup
Beet "rawvioli" with pesto oil

Friday, June 15, 2012

all about garlic scapes

I had no idea what a garlic scape was before working at the farm. After tasting one I learned the truth: they're twists of gold at the top of garlic stalks.

Garlic scapes only come from hardneck garlic. They're the immature flower stalks that are cut off so that the plant can send of all its energy into the bulb. Scapes are milder in flavor than the cloves (but still pretty potent) and can be eaten raw or cooked. I prefer them cooked.

There are basically two parts to scape: the bump that will become the flower (which you do not use) and the long, twirly stalk (that you do use).

And this is how I've mainly been cooking with them:

Chopped and sauteed in olive oil. Then I'll toss in some greens (in the above case, beet greens). I threw all that onto a pile of rice, topped it with some egg and crumbled feta. I've also done a similar thing with chopped kale and have put it all onto a wrap with goat cheese instead of rice. Really, scapes, greens and eggs have been staples of my lunches lately.

We've also included scapes in salads and soups.

Here are two right and proper recipes:

Garlic Scape Pesto
10 garlic scapes
1/2 cup basil

1/2 cup parsley

1/3 cup walnuts

1/3 cups parmesan cheese

1/3-1/2 cups olive oil
salt and pepper

Combine everything in a food processor and blend until a paste. Adjust to meet the satisfaction of your taste buds: add more salt, pepper, basil, etc. Eat immediately, store in fridge for a few days, or freeze for several months.

Garlic Potato Salad

(from Simply in Season)

6 cups new potatoes, cubed

6 garlic scapes, chopped

1 cup green onions, chopped

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons fresh rosemary
salt and pepper

Boil potatoes in water until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Combine scapes, green onion and rosemary in food processor. Blend until everything is in small pieces. Pour into bowl with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Add potatoes and stir until combined. Adjust as needed.

Chill for about 3 hours before serving.