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beets

Borscht Recipe (Beet Soup)

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Adapted from the recipe by Holly Nilsson

Prep & cook time: 50 minutes

Makes 6 servings

Servings6

 

Borscht is a traditional soup eaten in many Eastern European countries, including Ukraine, where it is an important part of culinary identity. Beets give this vegetable soup an earthy sweetness, while a dash of lemon juice and zest provide contrasting sour notes.

Ingredients

*Ingredients currently available at the Saratoga Farmers’ market

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 red beets*, peeled and ½ inch diced (approx 1 ½ pounds)
  • 2 carrots*, ½ inch diced
  • 1 large potato*, peeled and ½ inch diced
  • ½ small green cabbage*, shaved
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth*
  • 4 cups beef broth
  • 2 tablespoons dill fresh, minced
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice fresh
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1 bay leaf
  • kosher salt to taste
  • black pepper to taste
  • sour cream optional, for serving

Instructions 

  1. Add olive oil to a soup pot and set over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add in the beets, carrots, potatoes, and cabbage. Stir to combine.
  2. Cook for 10 minutes to slightly soften the vegetables.
  3. Add in the garlic and saute for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
  4. Pour in the beef and the vegetable broth and add the bay leaf. Simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the beets and carrots are tender.
  5. Discard bay leaf. Stir in the fresh dill, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Taste and season with the desired amount of kosher salt and black pepper.
  6. Serve with a dollop of sour cream on top.

 

Roasted Beet and Apple Salad with Honey Dijon Vinaigrette

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Recipe by Marisa Kerkvliet

Yields: 4 servings 

Ingredients 

*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market 

For the salad: 

  • 3 medium-size beets or 1 large beet* 
  • 1 apple, thinly sliced* 
  • 1 bag baby lettuce* 
  • 1 handful pea shoots or microgreens* 
  •  ⅓ cup crumbled feta cheese* 
  • ¼ cup toasted walnuts 

For the vinaigrette 

  • ¼ cup olive oil 
  • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar 
  • 2 tablespoons minced red or yellow onion* 
  • 2 teaspoons honey* 
  • 1 teaspoon dijon mustard 
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt 
  • ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 

Instructions 

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Trim the stem end off of each beet, wrap in a piece of aluminum foil, and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast beets for 1-2 hours or until they are tender when pierced with a paring knife. 
  2. Allow the beets to cool and gently rub off the skin. The beets can be used at this point or stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. 
  3. When ready to serve, slice the beets into ¼ inch slices and arrange them on a serving platter. Layer on the sliced apple, baby lettuce, pea shoots, feta cheese, and walnuts and set aside. 
  4. To make the dressing combine the olive oil, white wine vinegar, minced onion, honey, dijon mustard, salt, and pepper in the jar or a small blender and blend on high for 15-30 seconds or until completely smooth. If you do not have a blender small enough for this quantity, simply whisk all the ingredients together in a small bowl. 
  5. Pour dressing over the plated salad and serve immediately.

Eating Fresh and Flavorful in the Winter

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By Marisa Kerkvliet

We probably all have memories of the farmers’ market during the summer months. Tables stacked full of brightly colored fruits and vegetables and bustling isles full of customers. During the winter, the farmers’ market might not be the first place you think to go on a Saturday morning. If you have yet to venture into the winter market, you may be surprised that there is far more fresh produce than you think! Not to mention the booths full of other kitchen staples like honey, meat, and fresh bread.

Gomez Veggie Ville, photo by Marisa Kerkvliet

Root crops such as beets, potatoes, turnips, and carrots are hearty and do well in cold storage many months after the fall harvest. Winter squash can be kept for months and is still delicious when roasted or baked, even in the early spring. Brassicas such as kale and cabbage are also available. Did you know that kale leaves become sweeter after they withstand frosty weather? You can find fresh, sweet greens like lettuce, spinach, pea shoots, and microgreens.

Saratoga Apple, photo by Marisa Kerkvliet

This week’s recipe features sweet roasted beets and fresh apples complemented by salty feta cheese and a tangy honey dijon vinaigrette. The salad is rounded out with the freshest of greens. The recipe can easily be adapted with ingredients available at the market. If pea shoots are not available, use microgreens instead or stick with the baby lettuce. If beets aren’t your thing, pour this dressing over the greens, apple, and feta to make a light side salad.

Photo by Marisa Kerkvliet

Roasting beets in foil is an excellent way to cook them while retaining flavor and sweetness. After roasting, the skin should easily slip off. The exact cooking time for the beets varies greatly depending on the size. Medium size beets, about 3 inches in diameter, will typically take about an hour to fully cook. Winter beets at the market are often much larger, about 6 inches, and can take up to 2 full hours to cook. Roasted beets keep well in the fridge, so consider roasting more than you need so you can use the rest throughout the week. 

I am a freelance recipe developer and food photographer with a background in Nutrition and Culinary Arts. I focus on sharing seasonal whole-food recipes for the whole family. You can find me and see more of my work on my Instagram @lemon.thyme.kitchen.

This week’s recipe: Roasted Beet and Apple Salad with Honey Dijon Vinaigrette

Refrigerator Pickled Beets

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iStock

Recipe courtesy of Diane Whitten, Food & Nutrition Educator for Cornell Cooperative Extension of Saratoga County
Makes 8, ½ cup servings.

Ingredients
*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market
● 1 quart beets*, roasted, microwaved or steamed (see below)
● 1 small red onion*
● 4 whole cloves
● 1 whole cinnamon stick
● 2/3 cup sugar
● 1 cup cider vinegar* or red-wine vinegar
● 1 cup water

Instructions
Cut cooked beets in ¼ inch slices. Cut onion in half, then slice thinly. Layer beets and onion in a glass dish, bowl, or jar. Put remaining ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Pour over beets and onions, cover beets completely adding extra water if necessary. After they have cooled completely, cover and refrigerate for 3-7 days before serving. Will keep in the refrigerator for several weeks.

*This recipe should not be canned, as it is not acidified enough to prevent botulism food poisoning.

Nutrition per serving: 44 calories, 0 g fat, 10 g carbohydrate, 2 g protein, 2 g fiber, 66 mg sodium.

To roast beets, wrap in aluminum foil and cook in a slow-cooker for 3-4 hours or in a 400 degree oven for 40 minutes. Peel after cooling.
To microwave beets, slice ¼ inch thick, place in a microwave-safe dish, add ½ inch water, cook on high for 2 minutes per cup of beets. Time varies depending on wattage of microwave.
To steam beets, peel the skins with a vegetable peeler, and cut into 1/4 inch slices. Place in steamer basket over water, turn heat to high and cook for 10-15 minutes.

Herbed Spring Salad with Egg and Walnuts

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iStock

Adapted from the recipe by David Tanis
Yield: 4 servings
Time: 1 hour

This bright, herby, fresh-tasting salad makes a very nice accompaniment to a seared pork chop. The components can be prepared in advance, but wait until the last minute before dressing and serving.

Ingredients:
*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market

FOR THE VINAIGRETTE:
● 2 tablespoons finely diced yellow onion*
● 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
● 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar
● 3 tablespoons lemon juice, plus more to taste
● ½ teaspoon grated garlic* (from 2 small cloves)
● Kosher salt and black pepper
● ¼ cup walnut oil or extra-virgin olive oil

FOR THE SALAD:
● 4 cups lightly packed watercress* or a mixture of salad greens*
● 3 medium beets*, cooked, peeled, and cut in wedges
● ½ cup thinly sliced radish* (6 to 8 medium radishes)
● ½ cup thinly sliced turnip* (or use small kohlrabi*)
● ½ cup thinly sliced cucumber*
● Kosher salt and black pepper
● 2 tablespoons roughly chopped dill*
● 2 tablespoons basil* leaves, torn
● 4 (7-minute) boiled eggs*
● 1 cup toasted walnut halves

Instructions
1. Make the vinaigrette: Put shallots in a small bowl. Add mustard, vinegar, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, and garlic. Stir together, and add a pinch of salt and pepper. Whisk in the walnut oil. Set aside for a few minutes, then taste and adjust lemon juice and salt.
2. Wash and dry the salad greens. Tear large leaves into smaller pieces, if desired. Wrap in a clean towel and refrigerate if not serving immediately.
3. Just before serving salad, put beet wedges in the bottom of a wide salad bowl. Add the radish, turnip, and cucumber. Season with salt and pepper. Add dill, basil, and half of the vinaigrette. Toss gently to coat.
4. Add the salad greens and combine to distribute sliced vegetables evenly. Cut eggs in halves or quarters, and arrange over salad. Scatter walnuts over the top. Drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette.

Comfort Foods for Christmas

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By Himanee Gupta-Carlson

Prepping Roast Chicken, Adobe Stock

Short days, long nights, and frigid wind chills characterize our winter holidays, even without a pandemic. This kind of weather offers an excuse to forgo extensive meals and focus on what is elegantly simple: dishes that require few ingredients and few steps to prepare. With foods from our local farmers, elegance is easy.

Think roast chicken. Pick up a half or whole chicken at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market, fresh or frozen. If frozen, thaw. If fresh, immediately wrap the breast and wing in aluminum foil and roast in an open pot at 450 degrees for 15-18 minutes. Remove the pot from the oven, cool the oven down to 325 degrees, unwrap the foil, put a lid on the pot, and continue cooking for an additional 15-17 minutes a pound, usually about 50 minutes for a three-pound chicken. You can add salt and pepper, lemon, herbs, or any other seasonings to the chicken beforehand. But farm-raised chicken is delicious as is.

While the chicken is cooking, consider adding mashed potatoes. Wash potatoes and scrub skins of debris. Boil until soft or cook in an instant pot. Then, melt butter or heat oil in a stovetop pot. Add potatoes, and mash until they’re of a consistency you like. Salt, pepper, herbs, and milk can enhance the flavor.

Pleasant Valley Farm, photo by Pattie Garrett

Carrots, turnips, and beets tossed in oil and seasoned with salt and pepper can roast nicely as your chicken cooks. Or try boiling these nutritious root vegetables on the stove until fork tender and tossing in a half or quarter head of cabbage toward the end.

Finally, try onion soup. Warm 5-6 cups of chicken stock (or any other meat stock or vegetable broth) in a soup pot. While the stock is simmering, thinly slice about five medium-sized onions. Cook with oil or butter in a skillet at medium-low heat until the onions have caramelized, about 25 minutes. The key is to get the onions soft but to stir often so they do not stick to the pan. Turn the heat down and add a tablespoon of flour. Toss well, then add to simmering stock, stirring gently to dissolve the flour. Serve with toasted bread and sliced cheese.

This week’s recipe: French Onion Soup