June 14, 2020
Beets and Escarole!
By Linda Dansbury

Okay, so I would bet that some of you are not jumping up and down for these items, and that's a shame. Both crops are delicious and provide much needed vitamins and minerals.

I disliked beets until I joined the farm and then had to learn what to do with them. Fresh beets are so yummy! When you get them home, separate the greens from the roots and store separately. Do not throw the greens away. They are in the same family as chard and spinach so can be used in cooked dishes that call for either of those. Or, make the Roasted Beets and Beet Green Risotto. A delicious dish with a crazy pretty color, since the beets color the rice. I just learned a new way to roast beets. I have always wrapped the beets in foil and roasted them, but I read an article and it said to place them in a covered baking dish, so I tried it. Pre heat oven to 450 degrees. Place beets with all but the top 1 inch of greens removed, and place in single layer in the baking dish. Drizzle with a little olive oil and bake covered for 1-2 hours, depending on the size of the beets. Check them starting at 45 min. I found the beets cooked faster this way, to check them you don't have to unwrap the beets, and there is no wasted foil. Peel the beets when they are cool enough to handle. If you wait to peel them too long, the skins won't slip off as easily. Since Father's Day is next week, you could also make the Chocolate Beet Cake on this site - it is absolutely delicious! There are also a lot of other recipes to try using the farm's beets.

Escarole is one of those greens that causes people's brows to furrow when they see it. Growing up with Italian grandparents, I mainly knew it in Escarole Soup (aka Italian Wedding Soup), but it is good in other ways too. Escarole is a member of the same family as radicchio (of which we received last week) and endive, but is less bitter. The outer leaves tend to be darker and slightly more bitter than the inner leaves. So you can take the head a part and saute the outer leaves on their own or with other greens for a side dish and then add the inner, more tender leaves to your nightly greens mix to add another texture and flavor, try a new recipe - Salad of White Beans and Greens - this salad accommodates a mix of all sorts of greens and since it incorporates beans, it can be a complete meal.

Be adventurous and use recipes as a guide - use whatever the farm is giving us to form your meals! And most of all, enjoy the harvest!