Last Year’s and This Year’s Veggies!

This is an amazing time of year, when the full promise of the growing season is before us.  And yet there are things left to eat from last year!  So why not make a meal that celebrates last season and this new season?

Beets, potatoes, and many other storage vegetables are still in good supply having lasted through the winter.  But maybe they’ve lost their appeal (and grown thicker peels) after a long winter and many meals.  Here are two ideas from the new Oh She Glows Cookbook* that might help these vegetables make one more lap around your table.  And what about the new fresh vegetable?  Make an easy side of fresh asparagus, by lightly steaming it and then briefly frying it with a bit of butter and salt.

The whole meal is: fresh asparagus, Roasted Beet Salad, and Taco Fiesta Potato Crisps.

Beet Salad (Adapted from the Oh She Glows Cookbook)

4-5 medium beets

½ cup walnuts or other local nuts

4 tbsp. Balsamic Reduction

1 tbsp. oil

6-8 sprigs fresh thyme, minced

Preheat the oven to 400 F.  Place the beets in a covered ovenproof bowl, like Corningware.  Roast for 45-90 minutes, it really depends on the size of the beets, “until a fork slides easily into the largest beet.”  Let the beets cool until they can be handled, then rub them under cold water until their thick skins fall off. 

Slice the beets as thinly as possible.  Toss the beets with the balsamic reduction, oil, thyme, and nuts.  Alternatively, arrange them on a plate and drizzle with the vinegar and oil, topping with the nuts and thyme. 

Taco Fiesta Potato Crisps (Adapted from Oh She Glows Cookbook)

Potato Crisps:

1-2 large potatoes, sliced into ¼-inch rounds

1 tbsp. oil

Salt and Pepper

Walnut Taco Topping:

1 cup walnuts, toasted

1 tbsp. oil

1 ½ tsp. chili powder

½ tsp. cumin

¼ tsp. salt

Dash of cayenne pepper (optional)

Additional toppings:

Sour Cream or thick yogurt

Salsa

2-3 green onions, sliced

Pepper

Preheat the oven to 425 F, line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicon baking mat.  Place the sliced potatoes in a large bowl, drizzle with oil and toss by hand until the oil is evenly distributed.  Arrange the potatoes on the baking sheet in a single layer, with none touching.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast for 30-35 minutes, flipping halfway through, until they are golden, bubbly, and tender. 

While the potatoes are roasting prepare the Walnut Taco Topping: In a food processor, mix together the walnuts, oil, chili powder, cumin, salt, and cayenne, processing until they form a fine crumble. 

When the potato crisps are cool enough to handle arrange them on a plate (or leave them on the baking sheet) and top with a dollop of sour cream or yogurt, followed by the walnut mixture, salsa, green onions, and pepper.  Serve warm. 

*Oh She Glows is a vegan food blog written by Angela Liddon of Oakville, ON, that focuses on meat and dairy-free foods that appeal to all eaters.  Angela’s meals are often also free of gluten, soy, and processed foods, so put a hold on the book from WPL or get it on Amazon. Even if you’re not at all interested in vegan eating, the meals are worth trying for their abundant and delicious use of seasonal vegetables!

The Beet Goes On… The Pizza!

This is the follow up to the previous recipe, in which roasted winter vegetables were loaded onto a simple sandwich.  This version takes the same idea of roasting beets and potatoes but puts them on… pizza!  It’s an amazing pizza, and for our family, the realization that potatoes make an awesome pizza topping has been a game changer!  If you’re not up to trying this with beets consider substituting mushrooms and onions.

The Beet Goes On… The Pizza!

Ingredients:

·        1 large or medium potato, sliced into ¼ inch rounds

·        1 large beet, sliced into ¼ inch rounds

·        local oil (soy, canola, sunflower)

·        pizza dough

·        pizza sauce (about ¾ cup)

·        mozzarella, grated (about ½ - 1 cup)

·        very sharp cheddar, grated (about ½ cup)

·        1-2 scallions or leeks, sliced into small rounds

Preheat the oven to 400.  In a bowl toss the potato slices with a little bit of local oil and a bit of salt and pepper.  Arrange the potatoes on a baking sheet, and toss the beet slices with oil (this prevents the beets from dying everything red!).  Add the beets to the baking sheet and roast at 400 until the potatoes are beginning to turn golden and bubble, about 30 minutes. 

Remove the vegetables from the oven and allow them to cool slightly while stretching your dough.  (And turn the oven up to 500).  Top the pizza with pizza sauce, then the roasted potatoes, next the mozzarella and cheddar, finally the beets and scallions.  Bake the pizza until the cheese is bubbling and the crust is beginning to turn golden or brown.  Every oven is a little different so keep an eye on the pizza, it will probably cook in about 4-7 minutes.

Recipe from Bailey’s member, Jon Spee, who blogs about localism at The Local Kitchener.

The Beet Goes On… The Sandwich!

Winter is over and Spring is in the air (finally).  However Spring’s bounty will not begin to arrive for a few more weeks.  Fortunately thanks to the wonders of storage there are still plenty of awesome root vegetables from last season!  This sandwich showcases three of them, but the beets take the lead role for reasons mostly related to the name….

The Beet Goes On… The Sandwich!

Ingredients:

·        1 large beet, sliced into ¼ inch rounds

·        1 large or medium potato, sliced into ¼ inch rounds

·        1 really large parsnip, sliced into ¼ inch rounds

·        local oil (soy, canola, sunflower)

·        a few slices of very sharp cheddar

·        lettuce

·        bread

·        mustard, mayonnaise, ketchup, etc.

Preheat the oven to 400.  In a bowl toss the potato and parsnip slices with a little bit of local oil and a bit of salt and pepper.  Arrange the potatoes and parsnips on a baking sheet, and toss the beet slices with oil (this prevents the beets from dying everything red!).  Add the beets to the baking sheet and roast at 400 until the potatoes and parsnips are beginning to turn golden and bubble, about 30 minutes.  Add the slices of sharp cheddar to the potatoes and cook a bit longer until the cheese is melted.

Remove the vegetables from the oven and allow them to cool slightly while toasting slices of bread.  Top a slice of bread with your favourite condiments (we used a sauce made of spicy mustard, mayo, ketchup, and dash of balsamic vinegar), add some lettuce, and arrange the parsnips, potatoes, and beets in a stack, topping with another slice of bread.  Serve with tzatziki, or a cucumber salad, or a bean salad for extra protein.  Enjoy!

The follow up to this sandwich is the pizza version, coming soon!

Recipe from Bailey’s member, Jon Spee, who blogs about localism at The Local Kitchener.