beets

Open Appetite

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Eating seasonally means keeping an open mind and open appetite.

This morning I strolled the garden to see what needed harvested.  I found Chioggia beets and lots of kale, which is the only thing in the garden that is thriving, not just holding on by a thread, after a week of triple digit heat index and neglect.  Throw in a giant bowl of figs I picked Sunday morning and a salad was in order.

I wanted to roast the beets but I couldn’t fathom turning on the oven with the AC on, instead I slow cooked them in a skillet with a little coconut oil.  They didn’t get as sweet and roasty but it was a good compromise.

While the beets did their thing I had many a fig ‘n Dubliner snack stack.

Mmmm, salad!

Red Russian Kale topped with stove-top ‘roasted’ Chioggia beets, fresh figs, blue cheese, walnuts, and drizzled with fig balsamic vinegar reduction.

Every since I started making a balsamic vinegar reduction I don’t like it any other way, reducing makes it sweeter, less sharp, and a little syrupy so it holds onto the produce better.  It’s super simple to make, just simmer some balsamic vinegar in an open sauce pan until it starts to coat a spoon.  The smell can be a little intense, I don’t mind it but I try to make it when Tate’s not home because he says it burns his eyes and nose.

Want to take it up a notch?  Add in some fruit while you simmer.  Last month I used cherries, yesterday it was sliced figs.  The fruit sugars help sweeten, of course, and also add to the syrupy quality while imparting their particular flavor into the vinegar.  The vinegar infused fruit is a delicious addition to salads, just chop it fine and throw it in for little bursts of flavor.

Do you go to the market or the garden with a plan or let the food-of-the-moment guide you?  What are you loving these days?  My tomatoes are just starting to come in and there are bitty, baby cucumbers starting to take shape.  Cucumber-tomato-basil salad has been a long standing favorite of mine and it won’t be long before I will be savoring one a day. 🙂

Miked

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How beautiful are golden beets?

Sometimes in women’s magazines the following question is posed; “what do you eat for dinner when you are all by yourself?  Cereal while standing in the kitchen?  Cookies?”

For me it’s beets.

Or sweet potatoes.  Or winter squash.

They are usually just steamed and topped with a spray of olive oil and some herb salt.

Tate would eat this but he doesn’t derive the same pleasure from a bowl of bright, starchy vegetables as I do.  He gets that from rice.

In fact, if Tate’s answer to the same question would probably be “a huge bowl of brown rice and melted cheese”.   Simple pleasures.

Yesterday afternoon I had the {simple} pleasure of participating in Cville Connect‘s inaugural Food Bloggers Podcast.

This ’round-table’ discussion is the brainchild of Cville Connect’s founder, Mike Bisceglia, a total foodie disguised as a sportscaster.  The premise was simple; he wanted to get local food bloggers together on one couch and talk food!

{photo taken by Mike on Kath‘s phone}

I was honored to be invited to join this group of talented ladies.  The panel included myself, Kath from Kath Eats Real Food, Andrea from Bella Eats and Beyond the Flavor, and Jenée  from Diner of Cville.

When I was first asked to participate I thought it sounded like fun. As the time drew closer to actually going on the mic I started to get really nervous.  What if I was a totally inarticulate, blabbering mess?  I’ve never done a lot of public speaking, unless you count teaching.  I can lead 60 people through a workout but the idea of being put on the spot and expected to speak intelligently and concisely kind of terrifies me.  I’m a listener in general.  I enjoy time to digest my thoughts before they leave my head.  Luckily the podcast will be edited because I stalled out at least once, my random ramblings running their course.

The podcast will be out on Monday and unless griped by total insecurity I will share a link to it.

Any good plans for the weekend?

I have to put up a trellis before my asparagus beans get out of control.  Have you grown these crazy guys before?  I’m ridiculously excited about them.  Each green bean grows to be over a foot long!

My mom is coming over too.  She lives two hours away and has planned a visit around attending a Zumba certification on Sunday here in the ‘ville.