The Humble Beet

Beets must be one of the most underrated vegetable in all of history, and I'm not convinced Dwight's beet farm on The Office helped the cause. Everyone loves the ever versatile carrot or a nice leafy head of lettuce, but the poor beet sits patiently alone, or huddled together in bundles, waiting to be wanted. I'm with Dwight on this one.

Schrute Farms: Helpful or hurtful to beets outside of Scranton, PA...?

I'm a big fan of a beet's earthy flavor, and the health benefits are pretty sweet, too. Beet consumption studied in the lab has demonstrated the ability to reduce blood pressure, and the betaine may protect against liver and cardiovascular disease. But enough about that -- let's talk good eats.

The most common way to prepare beets is to roast them, and my favorite roasted beet salad preparation is from Gourmet (2002), Beet and Goat Cheese Salad with Pistachios. It's an elegant preparation if you follow the recipe exactly, but I generally find myself roasting the beets, dicing (or quartering) and then drizzling them with the vinaigrette, and finishing the dish casually with the pistachios, finishing salt, and generous dollops of good-quality goat cheese.

Grilled beets take on the smokey, summery flavor we all love, and Bon Appetit's recipe for Grilled Beets with Burrata and Poppy Seed Vinaigrette is another testament to how well beets pair with a rich cheese. Burrata, meaning "buttered" in Italian, is a type of Italian cheese where the outer "shell" is mozzarella, while inside contains a soft, oozy mozzarella + cream mixture. It's decadent and worth every calorie. Be sure to do this dish justice by serving the cheese at room temperature.

An often snubbed beet preparation is, of course, Borscht. Sure, not a lot of great food comes out of Eastern Europe, unless vodka happens to be a food group of yours (Are You There, Vodka? It's me, Chelsea). I do, however, have a hunch why it gets such a bum rap -- those who know it's best warm, made with beef shank and beef broth, don't want to share.

The happy little root also pairs beautifully with fish, such as in Suzanne Goin's Sunday Suppers at Lucques's Sautéed Halibut with Arugula, Roasted Beets, and Horseradish Crème Fraîche. Craving more? Try them in early spring with citrus, such as in Bon Appetit's (2012) Blood Orange, Beet, and Fennel Salad.

Beyond the beetroot, did you know the greens were edible? Confession: Me either, until my darling foodie farmer sister gently pointed out my ignorance. I'm glad she did -- they're fantastic. Although you can prepare them like you would kale or collard greens, here's a wonderful grilled pizza from Fine Cooking that makes use of both the beet and their greens, Grilled Goat Cheese Pizza with Figs, Beets, and Wilted Greens.

You know what we're having tonight. What's on your grocery list this week?

Grilled Eggplant & Zucchini Rollatini

Wandering through a farmers market is easily one of my favorite summer activities, and I know I'm not alone on this one. What's better than anonymously meandering from stall to stall, coffee in hand, while young families, foodies and locavores admire locally grown produce, sample breads, and stretch comfort zones (seriously, where else are you going to find elk tenderloin)?

My little sister's farmers market stall in Yonkers, NY!
She's making 'all things produce' happen in the Hudson Valley for Karl Family Farms. Bad-ass.
http://www.karlfamilyfarms.com/

I recently left the Rochester Downtown Farmers Market with a totebag bursting with smooth, shiny eggplants, (never) too many zucchini, fennel bulbs with fanning fronds, and beets that were begging to be roasted and slathered with goat cheese. Happy to oblige.

We've been feasting on the best of summer all week, including this gorgeous summer dish which can be made in advance, refrigerated, and popped into the oven post-evening stroll. Enjoy!

GRILLED VEGETABLE ROLLATINI
Serves 4 as a main dish, or 6-8 as a side 

Ingredients:

3 medium eggplants (about 3 lbs) OR 3 lbs zucchini OR a combination of both, cut length-wise into 1/2" slices (NOTE: Using a mandoline makes the task easier and ensures even-sized slices & cooking)
1 TBS. kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/2 c. EVOO, plus more for drizzling
3 TBS. pine nuts (optional)
32 oz. whole-milk ricotta
2 large eggs, beaten
1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
3 TBS. freshly grated Parmesan, plus more to serve
20 fresh basil leaves, finely sliced (chiffonade) OR 1 1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. dried parsley
2 c. marinara sauce
fresh ground black pepper

Directions:

Arrange the eggplant slices over a large baking sheet and sprinkle with 1 TBS. kosher salt. Set the eggplant aside for 15 minutes to help extract moisture. Rinse the eggplant to remove the salt and pat dry.

Fire up the grill! Medium heat is best for veggies. Brush both sides of the eggplant and zucchini with the EVOO, and grill until tender, about 4 minutes per side.

Preheat the oven to 375. Place the pine nuts on a heavy baking sheet and toast until fragrant and light brown, about 4 minutes, stirring once at the 2 minute mark. (Watch them carefully throughout to avoid burning!) Set the pine nuts aside to cool, and leave the oven at 375 if you're planning to bake the rollatini immediately.

Lightly oil a 13 x 9 x 2" baking dish. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta and eggs, and then incorporate the mozzarella, herbs and pine nuts. Season with salt & pepper.

Place 1 heaping TBS. of the cheese mixture at the more narrow end of the eggplant slice and roll tightly. Place the eggplant rollatini seam side down in the prepared baking dish. Repeat with remaining eggplant and/or zucchini slices. (Once finished, you can cover and refrigerate for up to 8 hours).

Spoon the marinara sauce evenly over the rollatini, and bake uncovered until heated through, 15-18 minutes. Serve topped with freshly grated Parmesan and a drizzle of high-quality olive oil, a simply dressed salad and a warm, crusty baguette. These would also be gorgeous alongside grilled chicken.


FOLLOW-UP: I've received some questions about what to do with leftover ricotta filling. I've LOVED using the extra filling in stuffed shells or manicotti. 

Simply cook two links of sausage (I like hot Italian) in a saute pan, breaking it up as it cooks. Cool completely, and then fold into the extra ricotta filling. Add addition fresh herbs if you'd like, and then stuff into semi-cooked manicotti or pasta shells. 

Cover with your favorite marinara and top with 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella. Bake in a 350-degree oven until hot and bubbly. Visit this recipe for the step-by-step basics on preparing a manicotti dish. Enjoy! 


Rollatini recipe adapted from Giada's Everyday Italian Eggplant Rollatini.

Mackinac Blueberry-Lemon Muffins

I was in my early teens when my family loaded the minivan and embarked on a summer vacation driving up the western Michigan coast. In addition to the promise of sand dunes, charming bed & breakfasts and shopping along the way, the pinnacle of the trip would be taking the ferry to Mackinac Island and staying at the island's famous Grand Hotel, where evening wear is still required in all areas of the hotel after 6:30 PM -- jackets & ties for men and dresses for the ladies. We couldn't wait. 

We mused for days about what Mackinac would have in store for us when we disembarked from the ferry. No cars allowed, we would rent bicycles to tour the sights, take horse & carriage rides each night before dinner, and find the Iroquois Hotel, birthplace of our family's beloved blueberry-lemon muffin recipe. 

We made it as far as Charlevoix (I still have the sweatshirt) before my youngest sister came down with a nasty virus and the decision was reached -- without my input, mind you -- to skip Mackinac entirely and head home. We were devastated. 

I still haven't made it to Mackinac (someday....), but I'm convinced these muffins are probably one of the best things to come off the island anyway. Enjoy! 

MACKINAC BLUEBERRY-LEMON MUFFINS 

Makes 18 large muffins or 36 small muffins

Ingredients:

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 TBS. baking powder 

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup + 3 TBS sugar 

2 eggs, at room temperature

1 cup milk

2/3 cup cooking oil (vegetable or canola)

1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries 

3 TBS. lemon zest

Glaze: 

4 TBS butter, melted

1/2 cup sugar 

Directions: 

Preheat the oven to 400. Prepare two medium tins for 18, or three small muffin tins for 36. 

Sift the flour into a mixing bowl and add the baking powder, salt, and sugar. Combine well with a whisk. 

In a small bowl, add the eggs and whisk for 10 seconds. Add the milk and oil and blend.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the egg mixture. Gently combine. Important: Stir as little as possible to moisten the flour! It's perfectly fine for the batter to be extremely lumpy and streaks of flour remain. Set the batter aside to rest. 

 

Combine the blueberries and lemon zest in a separate bowl, and stir to combine. Gently fold the berries into the batter, again stirring as little as possible. (NOTE: Over-stirring batter agitates the gluten in flour and causes quick breads, such as these muffins, to turn out tough with elongated holes throughout the finished product).  

Gently spoon the batter into the muffin tins to 3/4 full. Put muffins into oven for 18-20 minutes. Check them at 15 minutes. If they're browning too quickly, set them on the lowest shelf in your oven. When baked, remove from oven and cool for five minutes. 

Remove the muffins from the cooled tin.  Dip the top of a muffin into the melted butter and roll lightly in the sugar. Repeat. These muffins can be held overnight and heated before enjoying the next day, but are always best fresh & warm. :) 

Mackinac Island Visitors Guide: http://www.mackinacisland.org/

Grand Hotel, Mackinac Island: http://www.grandhotel.com/

Iroquois Hotel, Mackinac Island: http://www.iroquoishotel.com/