The Community Supported
Garden
at Genesis Farm

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"Daddy has a small garden with a tall fence around it so the deer and rabbits don't eat all the vegetables. Grandaddy has little gardens all over his yard, but the ground hogs eat most of his vegetables, so he has mostly flowers and good-smelling herbs. The garden at Genesis is MUCH, much bigger.

First, we visited the distribution center, and I met Smadar. She and the other gardeners must work very hard to raise and collect so many good things. I wanted to eat a tomato, but grandaddy said I would have to go pick my own little tomato in the field. So we did that. In fact, grandaddy let me have three little tomatoes (when Mommy wasn't looking) and he let me pick flowers too. There were butterflies all around the flowers. I am particulary fond of butterflies.

Later, we went and sat on the grassy hillside. I stood up and held my hands high over my head, but I couldn't touch the sky. It is a very BIG garden."

Savory Chickpea and Beet Pancakes
-submitted by Leelannee Sloan

3 c. grated beets and carrots
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 c. chickpea four
¼ tsp. turmeric, ¾ tsp. cumin, ¾ tsp. salt, ¼ tsp. cayenne
2 eggs
3.4 c. milk or soymilk
2-3 sliced scallions or one small grated onion
additional oil

Heat large heavy skillet and sauté beets and carrots in oil until soft. In large bowl beat eggs and stir in milk. In separate bowl sift together dry ingredients, then mix into wet ingredients to make a pancake-like batter. Add cooked vegetables and scallions and mix well.

Heat a heavy skillet over medium heat and add oil generously. Spoon in batter and flatten so it is about ½-¾” thick and surface is even. (You can make these small and burger-sized, or larger and slice into wedges). Cover so pancake will steam and cook through the middle. When bottom is browned and top is beginning to set, flip, cover and cook until other side is brown (8-10 min.total).

Serve with raita and/or chutney. You can also try this recipe with green peas, grated potato and/or chopped broccoli.

Crimson Couscous
~ From Martha Stewart Living. Serves 4.

1 cup peeled diced (¼-inch) beet, approx. 2 med. Beets
1 tsp. coarse salt, plus more for seasoning
1 tbsp. unsalted butter
¼ tsp. ground coriander, ¼ tsp. ground cumin
1 cup couscous
½ cup dried apricots, cut into ¼-inch dice
4 tbsp. dried currants
2 tsp. finely grated orange zest
4 tbsp. freshly squeezed orange juice
Freshly ground pepper

Bring 1 ½ cup water, the diced beet and the salt to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat; simmer beet, covered, until tender, about 15 minutes.

Reserve 1 cup cooking liquid; drain beet. (If you have less than 1 cup liquid, add water to fill). Return beet and liquid to pan. Add butter, coriander and cumin; bring to a boil. Stir in couscous; cover. Remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes.

Fluff couscous with a fork. Stir in apricots, currants, zest and orange juice. Season with salt and pepper.

Beet Tartare with Horseradish and Caraway
~ Serves 4.

1 ½ lbs. medium beets
2 tsp. caraway seeds
½ c. minced red onion
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp. finely grated fresh horseradish (or drained prepared)
2 anchovy fillets, finely chopped (optional)
1 tbsp. sherry vinegar
1 tbsp. finely chopped capers
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tsp. minced chives, 2 tsp. minced parsley
½ tsp. fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 400º. Put beets in baking dish, cover with foil and bake about 1 hour, or until tender. When beets are cool enough to handle, peel and coarsely grate.

Meanwhile, in a small skillet, toast caraway seeds over moderate heat for 1 minute. Transfer to work surface to cool, then finely chop.

In a medium bowl, combine red onion with olive oil, horseradish, anchovies, vinegar, capers and caraway seeds. Fold in beets and season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate one hour. Stir in chives, parsley and lemon juice, and serve.

Wheatberry-Beet Salad with Goat Cheese, Toasted Walnuts and Balsamic Vinaigrette
~ Serves four.

2 c. cooked wheatberries
2 c. grated beet (raw or roasted, according to your preference)
½ c. chopped scallion
4 tsp. balsamic vinegar
2 tsp. red wine vinegar
1 shallot, finely diced
Salt and freshly ground pepper
5 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 c. walnuts, toasted in a dry skillet, then coarsely chopped
4 oz. goat cheese

In large bowl, combine wheatberries, beets and scallions.

In small bowl, combine both vinegars and the shallot with a few pinches of salt and a little pepper. Let stand 15 minutes. Whisk in olive oil. Taste to make sure the balance is right.

Pour vinaigrette over wheatberries and beets, and mix gently. Add toasted walnuts and mix again. Serve sprinkled with crumbled goat cheese.

Vinegared Beets Nested in Their Greens
~ From Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, by Deborah Madison. Serves 4-6.

16-24 small beets with their greens or large beets cut into wedges (about 2 lbs.)
1 ½ tbsp. butter or olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tsp. balsamic vinegar

Remove the greens, scrub the beets and steam them until tender, 15-30 minutes. Peel and set aside. Discard any greens that don’t look up to snuff, along with the stems. Steam the greens until tender, about 5 minutes, then toss with half the butter and season with salt and pepper. Arrange them in a nest on a plate. In another pan, heat the beets with the remaining butter. Add the vinegar and shake the pan until it evaporates. Spoon the beets into the center of the greens and serve.

Pretty Beets and Carrots
~ From Moosewood Restaurant New Classics. Serves 4.

1 large raw beet, peeled
1 large carrot, peeled
2 walnut-sized pieces of fresh ginger root
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
3 tbsp. cider vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt and freshly ground pepper
¼ cup minced scallions
6 green or red lettuce leaves

Coarsely grate the beet and then the carrot to yield about 2 ½-3 cups of each. Place in separate bowls and serve.

Grate the ginger finely and combine it with the oil, vinegar and garlic. Toss the beets with half of the dressing and add salt and pepper to taste. Mix together the scallions, carrots and the remaining dressing. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Arrange the lettuce on a platter; mound the carrot mixture in the center and spoon the beets around it. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Roasted Beet Borcht
~ From Tyler Florence. Serves 6-8.

1 pound beets
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 sprigs fresh thyme
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
6 cups chicken stock, heated
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
Sour cream, for garnish

Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
Scrub the beets and put them on a large piece of aluminum foil; season with salt and pepper, add 3 thyme sprigs, and drizzle with 3 tablespoons olive oil. Bake until the beets are tender, about 1 hour. Set aside. When the beets are cool enough to handle but still warm, slip off their skins, and chop them into large chunks.
In a large heavy bottomed pot over medium heat, add the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil. Put in the onion, carrots, garlic, and remaining 3 thyme sprigs and cook until softened and just starting to color, about 10 minutes. Add the chicken stock and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Remove the thyme sprigs. Put the chopped beets into a blender and add the cooked vegetables and most of the stock. Blend until smooth; add more stock if the puree is too thick. Add the vinegar and honey; season with salt and pepper. Blend again to incorporate flavors. Borscht can be served hot or cold.
To make the garnish, grate the apple on the large holes of a box grater and mix in the dill. Serve in bowls, garnished with a big dollop of sour cream and topped with the apple and dill mixture.

Roasted Beet and Tomato Puree with Orange
~ From Martha Stewart Living. Serves 6-8.

1 pound plum tomatoes, quartered and seeded (or use drained canned tomatoes, since it is winter!)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
coarse salt
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 ½ pounds trimmed medium red beets
4 teaspoons fresh orange juice

Preheat oven to 375º Toss tomatoes with thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 tablespoon oil on a rimmed baking sheet. Spread in a single layer on half the sheet. Toss beets with 1 teaspoon salt and remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Wrap beets in parchment and then foil, and add to baking sheet. Roast until beets are tender, 45-50 minutes. Let cool slightly. Peel beets, and coarsely chop.

Puree tomatoes and beets in a food processor, then combine. (Puree can be made up to 1 day ahead and refrigerated; reheat in a saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally.)

Just before serving, stir in orange juice and season with salt.

Quick and Easy Beets

Grate up your beets, sauté them in butter or oil just until cooked, season with lime juice, lime zest, salt and pepper. Simple and delicious!

Nala: 1994-2007

Excruciating
Love: To choose euthanasia
Forgive me. Good-bye.

Nancy Dreyfus

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