BEET GREEN CHOPPED SALAD

"Beet's concentrated jewel-like color is both its joy and its downfall. It is Murphy's law that it should marry so happily with the virginal white of goat cheeses, mascarpone, and thick puddles of creme fraiche, none of whose looks are improved by a pink stain curdling the outer edge" - Nigel Slater, Tender

I love them for their boldness. For their unmatched flavor and unapologetic way of making everything pink (when using the red ones), like Slater mentions. They are what they are, without reservation, a concept that I've been wrestling with on a personal/career level this past week. I likely sound nutty, but there are lessons to learn in the growing, cooking and serving of food aren't there?

Beet greens are not for the faint at heart. For years I threw them away, not knowing they were perfectly edible. They boast a subtle sweetness, assertive in their vegetable taste and along with that lovely essence of dirt that the whole beet has, leaving no person to waver on liking them or not. The greens beckon the same taste buds, someone who is not afraid of their vegetables tasting of vegetable. They are tough, kind of like swiss chard, but cook down as tender as any green, can wiggle themselves into frittatas or stand up well in a green salad with a bold dressing. I like to chop mine pretty small, and would even go so far to say that I like when they have some time to marinate in the dressing before I dig in, as they have a certain sturdiness to them. This is another one of those salads that can sit in the fridge for a couple days to snack on, take to work, add a protein to, and will travel well. It's not for everyone, and you could use any other salad green if you just want to stick with the roasted beets sans greens. 

BEET GREEN CHOPPED SALAD // Serves 4 as a side

1 bunch of beets, including fresh looking greens

olive oil for cooking

4 scallions, white and light green parts

1 cup cooked and cooled quinoa

1 small avocado, diced

1/4 cup toasted sunflower seeds

// tahini dressing //

2 Tbsp. tahini

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar

1-2 tsp. agave nectar, depending on desired sweetness

3 Tbsp. water, or as needed

hefty pinch of salt and pepper

1 clove of garlic finely minced

1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp. finely chopped chives

Preheat the oven to 450'.

Cut the greens from the beets at their stem. Rub a bit of olive oil on the skin of the beets, sprinkle with salt and wrap them all in a foil pack. Set on the middle oven rack and cook for 45-55 minutes until you can easily piece through with a knife. Set them aside to cool.

While the beets roast, clean and dry the greens. Chop off and discard the long red stems. Chop the greens and put them in a large mixing bowl. 

To prepare the dressing, whisk together the tahini, lemon juice, vinegar, agave and water. Mix in the garlic, hearty pinch of salt and pepper and drizzle in the olive oil while whisking. Add more water if you prefer it thinner. Mix in the chives. Adjust to your taste and set aside. 

Once the beets are cool enough to touch, you should be able to just push the skin off with your fingers. Use a paring knife to help it along. Dice the peeled beets. Thinly slice the scallions. Add the beets, scallions, quinoa and avocado to the mixing bowl and toss with a generous amount of dressing (note: the salad will turn pink from the beets. If this bothers you, you can toss everything without the diced beets, and sprinkle them on top). Sprinkle in the sunflower seeds, give it one more toss.

I prefer mine to sit a few minutes before digging in. Will keep up in the fridge for two days. 

SWEET POTATO CAKES

I am inspired by cookbooks. I appreciate the beautiful pictures; most make me want to cook and they can remind me of the vegetables I haven't picked up in awhile. I still like to play around with recipes a bit (I have a strange aversion to following directions). The neat thing about the book that I pulled this recipe from (which is actually a marriage of two of Ottelenghi's recipes with a bit of Sara thrown in), is the random act of kindness of how this book ended up on my bookshelf. I had admired the book in a bookstore months ago, and filled my phone with photos of some of the recipes. I didn't buy the book then, but I couldn't stop thinking about it. Lo and behold, the book ended up on my doorstep a few days later from a dear friend who had picked up on a twitter comment. A kind note and a high five for finishing a big step in the book process. That sort of thoughtfulness is the inspiration I am after. Not just thinking how I can help someone or noting a quiet compliment, but DOING something to pass on compassion and encouragement. I can't look at the book without thinking of Kelsey's gesture, so I figured it was worth mentioning how loudly one single act of kindness can speak.

I really liked how these turned out, especially the sauce, but I won't tell you they are the most attractive meal you'll ever make. My first mistake is that I was too shy with the coconut oil/butter when cooking the patties, and they stuck to my cast iron pan. I'm not much for frying in general, but I suggest you be generous with the oil in the pan to get a good clean crust. You can serve them with some dressed greens, with black beans or poached eggs on top. Just finish them with a good douse of yogurt sauce on top and it won't matter what they look like underneath. Sauce is always the answer...and kindness. Sauce and kindness.

SWEET POTATO CAKES // Serves 4

Potato cakes adapted from Yotam Ottelenghi's Plenty

1 3/4 lbs peeled sweet potatoes, cut in large chunks

2 tsp. butter or coconut oil, plus more for cooking

1 leek, halved and thinly sliced

2 tsp. tamari or soy sauce

1 clove garlic, minced

3/4 tsp. salt

pinch of red pepper flakes

1/2 cup oat flour or unbleached all purpose flour

1 egg, well whisked

yogurt sauce

1/2 cup greek yogurt

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

3 Tbsp. chopped cilantro or basil

2 Tbsp. finely chopped lemongrass*

pinch of salt and pepper

* I know it's unlikely that most people just have lemongrass lying around, and while it adds a ton of flavor here, don't bust your buns if it's not easy to get a hold of. You could also substitute in chopped shallot.

Steam the potatoes until tender throughout. Set aside to cool.

While the potatoes cook, warm the butter or oil in a cast iron pan. Saute the leeks until softened, about 4 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, blend all of the yogurt sauce ingredients, besides the cilantro or basil, together in a mini blender or food processor. Lastly, add the herbs and give it one or two more whirls just to blend in the herbs. Set aside.

When the potatoes have released most of their moisture (steam), transfer them to a bowl and mix them with the tamari/soy sauce, garlic, salt, red pepper flakes and flour to combine. You want the mix to be tacky not wet, add more flour if it seems too moist to hold shape. Add the leeks and egg and mix to combine.

Add enough coconut oil, butter or a mix of the two (which i prefer), to your nonstick/cast iron pan to generously coat the bottom, and warm over medium high heat. Dont be shy. Make small, two tablespoons patties and drop them into the hot pan, pressing down to flatten. Cook until well browned on each side, about 7-8 minutes, adjusting heat as necessary if they start to burn. Remove to a paper toweled lined plate to absorb excess fat while you cook another batch.

Serve with some lightly dressed greens and a generous portion of the sauce. These would be so wonderful with a poached egg on top or other protein of your choice.

BROCCOLINI + CHARRED LEMON FLATBREAD

I went to college thinking I wanted to write for a health and fitness magazine. I would major in journalism, maybe take an internship after school and try not to live in New York City (the hub of most magazine companies) if I could help it - no offense New Yorkers, I'm just not a city girl. But as the story usually goes, I changed my mind at some point in those four years. To tell you it changed to wanting to write a cookbook and dabble in freelance recipe development would be lie. I never planned to be doing what I am doing now. I wouldn't know how to tell someone how to write a book on cooking and I don't even have a concrete answer as to how I learned to cook myself. Sometimes things sort of happen, and you learn the hard way while it's all happening, and it just works out. I've mentioned before that the learning curve with this whole book process has been a rocky one for both Hugh and I. We ate a lot, argued, did a TON of dishes and I cried when frustrated...which may have been often, but it recently occured to me that I'm on the other side of it now. The contents are still in the design process, but the book is available for pre-sale on Amazon. Me! Us! On Amazon! Like the place where we buy all our books and most other items I am too lazy to go to a store and buy myself! This is the thrill I was waiting for - the moment it feels like the learning curve evened out and there is fruit to the labor. I am sure the fear and self consciousness will creep back in at some point, but for now, I am so excited to share with you, party people.

In the way we sort of fall into jobs and oportunities and figure them out as we go, homemade pizza has the same story. I usually just pile things on, flavors that make sense to me, and while it may not be perfectly articulated with a clear expectation, it turns out just fine. And maybe even better than planned.

BROCCOLINI + CHARRED LEMON FLATBREAD // Serves 2 as entree, 4 as an appetizer

No Knead Pizza Dough recipe from Jim Lahey in Bon Appetit

I halved the published recipe to yield two crusts and the toppings mentioned are written for one pizza. I made mine with unbleached white whole wheat flour and it came out a bit dense...as expected. Next time I'd halve it with bread flour or unbleached all purpose flour.

I am giving general amounts for the toppings, but pizza should most definitely be made to your preference, so I suggest winging it. My only tip is to use more cheese than appears necessary, it always seems like less once it comes out of the oven.

Crust Recipe from Jim Lahey

(I halved it and got two 13'' thin crust pizzas)

1 small bunch broccolini

1 small meyer or eureka lemon

2 Tbsp. finely chopped shallot

6-8 oz. soft goat cheese

1/4 cup fresh grated parmesan

extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

sea salt and pepper, for topping

// roasted garlic spread //

3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

pinch of salt and pepper

1 head roasted garlic (helpful instructions here)

Make the crust according to instructions. I usually start it the night before so it's ready for the next day - takes some forethought, I know, but you can do it!

Preheat the oven to 500'.

Steam the broccolini for 1 1/2 minutes. Remove to a colander and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Give it a rough chop and set aside.

Cut the lemon into as thin of slices possible with a serated knife. Remove any seeds.

To make the roasted garlic paste, put the olive oil and pinch of salt and pepper in a bowl. Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of the head into the oil and smush fiercely with a fork to create a paste. This could also be done in a mini blender for smoother consistency. You want it creamy? Add a dollop of creme fraiche or sour cream.

Roll out your dough on a lightly floured surface (I used 1/4 of the published recipe I linked to for one pizza). Sprinkle a bit of cornmeal or flour on a cookie sheet and transfer the dough to the cookie sheet. Evenly spread the garlic paste, desired amount of broccolini, shallots, generous amount of goat cheese, lemon slices and the grated parmesan. Drizzle the top with olive oil, a sprinkle of salt and pepper and put it in the oven on the middle rack. Bake for 13-15 minutes until brown spots start to show on top. Remove, slice and enjoy warm. If you feel you went too easy on the cheese, sprinkle a bit more parm.