Veggie of the Month: Beets

Fun Facts about beets:

•  Long ago beets were used to cure ailments such as toothaches and headaches rather than being consumed 
• The compound that makes beets red is called betalin and it’s actually really important in helping the body get rid of toxins. 
• The beet is a love vegetable. It is the belief of some cultures that eating from the same beet as someone else will cause you to fall in love. 
• The green tops of beets are edible and taste good sautéed.

Roasted Beet Salad with Chickpeas and Red Onion

Yield:

4 servings

Level:

Easy

Ingredients

• 3 medium beets
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled 
• 1 sprig rosemary 
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 
• 1 1/2 cups canned chickpeas, drained 
• 1/2 red onion, sliced 
• 1/2 cup roughly chopped dill pickles
• Juice of 1/2 lemon 
• 1/4 cup crumbled cotija cheese 
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Set the beets, garlic and rosemary on a large piece of aluminum foil. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, sprinkle with some salt and pepper and add a splash of water. Fold the foil up into a pouch and seal the edges. Transfer to the oven and cook until the beets are easily pierced with a knife, 45 to 50 minutes. When done, remove the beets from the pouch and set them aside until cool enough to handle. With a paper towel rub the skins from the beets. Cut the peeled beets into bite-size cubes. Mince the roasted garlic.

Combine the beets, garlic, chickpeas, red onion, pickles and lemon juice in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper, drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and toss to mix. Transfer the salad to a serving platter. Sprinkle with the cotija and cilantro and serve.

Source:  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/guy-fieri/roasted-beet-salad-with-chickpeas-and-red-onion-2418914

Veggie of the month: Eggplant!

Fun facts about eggplant:

•          Like tomatoes, eggplants are not actually vegetables they are technically berries
•          In Italy, eggplants were once known as “mala insana” which translates to crazy apple
•         Eggplant is rich source of dietary fibers, vitamins C, K and vitamins of the B group, and minerals such as copper, phosphorus and magnesium 
•           In order to see if an eggplant is ripe, press the skin with your thumb, if the indentation disappears it is ready to eat!

Recipe: Eggplant Ragu

This play on the classic Italian sauce replaces meat with the nutrient rich eggplant and tastes great with pasta or polenta.

INGREDIENTS

•     1 pound eggplant, peeled and cut across in 1/4 -inch slices

•     2 tablespoons kosher salt

•     1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

•     1 pound red bell peppers, cut lengthwise in 1/8-inch strips

•     6 cloves garlic, sliced thin

•     2 ¼ pounds plum tomatoes, diced

•     Freshly ground black pepper to taste

•     12 large leaves basil, shredded

PREPARATION

Sprinkle the eggplant with 1 tablespoon salt and drain in a colander for 30 minutes. Rinse, pat dry and cut in 1/4-inch dice.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over high heat. Add the eggplant, peppers and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes. Lower the heat to medium and cover. Cook for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the tomatoes and cook, uncovered, stirring, for 5 minutes. Season with 1 tablespoon salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the basil and let sit for 5 minutes before serving with pasta or polenta.

Sources:

http://indianapublicmedia.org/eartheats/eggplant-facts/

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?dbid=22&tname=foodspice

http://www.softschools.com/facts/plants/eggplant_facts/1052/

http://www.thedailymeal.com/cook/12-things-you-didnt-know-about-eggplant

August Veggie of the Month: Tomatoes

Facts:

• People used to be afraid to eat tomatoes due to the fact that they are related to the deadly nightshade plant
• Every year there is a tomato festival in Spain, in which people throw about 150,000 tomatoes at one another.
• Cooked tomatoes are actually better for you than raw ones, as more antioxidants are released during the cooking process
•  93% of gardeners in the US include tomato plants in their gardens

Recipe:

Gazpacho: This classic Spanish, summer dish is a perfect way to end a hot summer day. Bonus: not only does this soup incorporate tomatoes, it also uses cucumber, onion, and peppers which should also be available from local farms this month.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/gazpacho-recipe

INGREDIENTS:

•    1cucumber, halved and seeded, but not peeled

•    2 red bell peppers, cored and seeded

•    4 plum tomatoes

•    1 red onion

•    3 garlic cloves, minced

•    23 ounces tomato juice (3 cups)

•    1/4 cup white wine vinegar

•    1/4 cup good olive oil

•    1/2 tablespoon kosher salt

•    1 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Roughly chop the cucumbers, bell peppers, tomatoes, and red onions into 1-inch cubes. Put each vegetable separately into a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until it is coarsely chopped. Do not overprocess!

After each vegetable is processed, combine them in a large bowl and add the garlic, tomato juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Mix well and chill before serving. The longer gazpacho sits, the more the flavors develop

Sources:

http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/food/tomatoes.html

http://www.foodnavigator.com/Science/Tomatoes-cooked-better-than-raw

https://www.quickcrop.ie/blog/2014/02/top-10-facts-about-tomatoes/

http://www.hgtv.com/outdoors/flowers-and-plants/vegetables/fun-facts-about-tomatoes

Veggie of the month: Carrots!

Fun Facts about carrots:

•    Contains 200% of the recommended daily amount of Vitamin A which is good for vision, bones, skin, and teeth.
•     Even the green tops of carrots are edible, but the part of the carrot most generally eaten is the taproot.
•    Carrots only became a staple vegetable in American diets post World War I, after soldiers returned from Europe having eaten them during the war.

Recipe:  Maple Dill Carrots

Make use of the maple in the North Country with this sweet side dish, perfect for any summer meal. 

INGREDIENTS

3 cups peeled and sliced carrots 


2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons granulated maple sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Place carrots in a skillet and pour in just enough water to cover. Bring to a boil over medium heat; simmer until water has evaporated and the carrots are tender. Stir in butter, maple sugar, dill, salt, and pepper.

SOURCE:  http://allrecipes.com/recipe/87694/maple-dill-carrots/

Veggie of the Month: Broccoli

Some Facts about broccoli:

• If orange juice isn’t your thing broccoli may be the vegetable for you, with the same amount of vitamin C in one cup of chopped broccoli as in an orange
• Broccoli was originally brought to the US from Italy by Thomas Jefferson
• Broccoli is great for your bones as it is a great source of calcium and also vitamin K which helps your body absorb calcium 

Recipe:

Caramelized Broccoli with Garlic from foodandwine.com: This is a great recipe for people not so fond of broccoli because it plays on the vegetable’s sweetness.

INGREDIENTS:

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 heads of broccoli (1 1/4 pounds total), stems peeled and heads halved lengthwise

1/2 cup water

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

Pinch of crushed red pepper

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

DIRECTIONS:

In a large, deep skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the broccoli, cut side down, cover and cook over moderate heat until richly browned on the bottom, about 8 minutes. Add the water, cover and cook until the broccoli is just tender and the water has evaporated, about 7 minutes. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil along with the garlic and the crushed red pepper and cook uncovered until the garlic is golden brown, about 3 minutes. Season the broccoli with salt and black pepper, drizzle with the lemon juice and serve.

Sources:

http://www.organicauthority.com/broccoli-nutrition

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-6039/10-Fun-Facts-You-May-Not-Know-About-Broccoli.html

Veggie of the Month: Asparagus

Some interesting tidbits about asparagus:

• Asparagus was so popular in ancient Egypt that there are paintings of the vegetable in tombs
• With asparagus growing up to a rate of up to 1 inch per hour, asparagus must be harvested daily to prevent over-growth 
• Asparagus is full of fiber, folate, vitamins A, C, E and K as well as antioxidants and carcinogenic fighting compounds 
• The Roman emperor, Caesar Augustus, used to yell in Latin, “Faster than cooking asparagus” to his troops which translates to “get going already!” Romans were so obsessed with asparagus that there were even Asparagus fleets where fast runners would bring the asparagus back as quickly as possible to the cities 

Asparagus Pesto: Although typically thought of as a basil dish, pesto simply means paste in Italian and asparaguses offer a healthy alternative to an Italian favorite. Serve this NY Times recipe over fish, chicken, or pasta.

INGREDIENTS:

•     Salt

•     1 lb asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch segments

•     1 clove garlic, or more to taste

•     ¼ cup pine nuts

•     ¼ cup olive oil

•     ¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

•     Freshly ground black pepper

•     Juice of 1/2 lemon

DIRECTIONS:

•     Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Add the asparagus and cook until fully tender but not mushy, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain well, reserving some of the cooking liquid, and let the asparagus cool slightly.

•     Transfer the asparagus to a food processor and add the garlic, pine nuts, 2 tablespoons of the oil, Parmesan, a pinch of salt and a couple of tablespoons of the cooking liquid. Process the mixture, stopping to scrape down the sides of the container if necessary, and gradually add the remaining oil and a bit more of the reserved cooking liquid to moisten if necessary. Add the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste, pulse one last time, and serve over pasta, fish or chicken

Veggie of the month: Kale

A few facts about Kale :

• Kale, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and Brussels sprouts are all the same species of plant!  
• They have become so different due to thousands of years of human cultivation 
• Popular for its hardiness and resistance to frost 
• Had an unexpected rise in popularity within the last decade 
• Now referred to as a “superfood” 

The recipe: Creamy Kale Gratin 

Serves 4, takes 25 minutes 

A “gratin” is a dish of French origin in which an ingredient is topped with a browned crust 

INGREDIENTS 

2 tablespoons olive oil 
1 medium bunch kale, thick stems removed and leaves torn into bite-size pieces (about 10 cups) 
1 shallot, sliced 
salt and black pepper 
2 ounces cream cheese 
2 tablespoons sour cream 
1 cup bread crumbs 
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut up 

DIRECTIONS 

1. Heat oven to 375° F. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the kale and shallot, season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper, and cook until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Toss occasionally. 

2. Mix in the cream cheese and sour cream. Transfer to a shallow baking dish, top with the bread crumbs and butter, and bake in oven until golden, 5 to 7 minutes. 

Alternate Kale Recipe: Kale and Lentils with Tahini Sauce 

Serves 4, takes 30 minutes total 

INGREDIENTS 

2 tablespoons tahini (sesame paste) - (popular seasoning for hummus) 
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 
2 tablespoons olive oil 
salt and black pepper 
1 medium bunch kale, thick stems removed and leaves torn into bite-size pieces (about 10 cups) 
1 15-ounce can lentils, rinsed 

DIRECTIONS 

1. Whisk together the tahini, lemon juice, oil, 2 tablespoons water, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.  

2. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the kale and ¼ cup water, covered, tossing occasionally, until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain the kale and fold in the lentils. Serve with the tahini sauce.