Requested: Beets

In addition to cabbage, requesters have been asking for things to do with beets. I'm afraid I won't be as much help with this one - I don't much like beets, and neither does my husband, so we neither grow them nor buy them. When a bunch showed up in our fall CSA box last year, we gave them to our neighbors!

But, all that being said...I do have some basic ideas you might want to pursue, perhaps via Google. Summer beets can be eaten raw, for starters. Peel and slice. In fact, at Mag Pie in Greenfield a couple weeks ago, there were sliced Chioggia beets included in a bowl of raw veggies served to each table. The flavor was mild, a bit like a salad turnip. You can also grate raw beets and use them in salad. In fact, I bet some raw grated beets would work pretty well as an addition to any of the slaws listed here.

Beets can be pickled, either lightly for near-term eating or more heavily for storage.

You can roast beets, either alone or with other root vegetables. Try olive oil, garlic, and dill for seasoning. For that matter, try par-cooking them (boiling or steaming) and then grilling with the same seasonings.

And of course there's always borscht.

Good luck!

Fire Roasted Red Peppers

With the first ripe bell peppers ready to harvest from my garden, this weekend it was (lost past) time to deal with the last few packages of ones I froze last fall. I couldn't bear to just chuck them in the compost (note to self: this year, don't freeze quite so many peppers). So I stuck them all the grill. Fire roasted red peppers are incredibly tasty and can be used in a variety of ways. I'll follow up with another recipe for turning them into a sauce, but you can also use them as is on pizza, sandwiches, with pasta, etc. They have all the flavor you love in regular roasted red peppers, plus a little something extra from the grill. Thick-walled peppers work best for this; thinner ones get hard to peel.

You can, of course, do this with fresh peppers! But if you happen to be using frozen, you can also put those straight on the grill, no need to thaw first. They'll just take a little longer to grill.

2 lbs red bell peppers, stems and seeds removed

Cut the peppers into halves or quarters, so that the pieces are more or less flat. You want as much surface area right on the grill as possible.

Heat up the grill nice and hot. Lay the peppers out, skin side down, over the fire. Grill until the skin is well charred - you want it almost entirely black.

Fresh pepper halves lined up on the grill

Remove the charred peppers from the grill and let them cool. Once you can comfortably handle them, use a sharp paring knife to remove the skin. It should peel off easily; you can get it started by piercing a charred blister with the knife.

Charred peppers ready for peeling

Store the peppers in the fridge, where they will keep for at least a few days. If you would like to freeze them, either tray freeze them first or separate them with layers of waxed paper so you can remove individual pieces later.

Makes 1/2 lb roasted peppers.

Requested: Cabbage

Three commenters posting requests so far have all mentioned cabbage. At this time of year, in my opinion, the best way to use cabbage is in salads and slaws. (You can make these through the winter, too, with storage cabbage, when salad greens are harder to find.) Here are three good ones:

Red Cabbage and Apple Slaw (Clarkdale has its first apples in now)

Sesame Mustard Slaw

Spice Green and Purple Korean Cabbage Salad

Taking Requests

Hey readers - got any veggies coming in your CSA box or garden that you're feeling confounded by? Too much of something, even if you like it? Or something else you have no idea what to do with? I'm taking requests! I may post full recipes or simply ideas to get you started. Leave a comment to let me know what you're working with.

Pureed Zucchini and Potato Soup with Herbs

Yep, this uses a whole three pounds of zucchini in one go! Tasty, too. Serve with salad and some good local bread.

Olive oil
5-6 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, chopped
3 lbs zucchini, cubed
1 1/2 lbs potatoes, cubed (peel if you like)
4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
Water
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 cup chopped fresh basil
1 cup milk (optional)

Heat the olive oil in a soup pot, then add the garlic and onion and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the zucchini, potatoes, and stock, then add enough additional water to just cover the vegetables. Cover the pot, bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes or until the vegetables are nice and tender.

Once the vegetables are tender, use an immersion blender (or do batches in a food processor) to puree the soup. Add salt and pepper, parsley, and basil. Stir in the milk if using. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

Serve hot.

Serves about 6.

Variations: Try other herbs such as sage, thyme, oregano, or cilantro. And of course you can always add bacon!

Black Raspberry Cornmeal Pancakes

We got some black raspberries from Nourse Farms not long ago. I tray froze them, then stashed them in freezer bags for easy use in smoothies and baked goods. In these pancakes they make a great combination with the cornmeal and maple syrup.

1 cup cornmeal
1 cup all purpose or whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 egg, beaten
1 Tbsp molasses
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup black raspberries (frozen is fine)
Butter or oil for cooking
Maple syrup for topping

Combine the cornmeal, flour, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl.

In a small bowl, combine the egg, molasses, and milk. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, then fold in the black raspberries.

Cook the pancakes over medium heat, flipping when the bubbles start to pop on top. Keep cooked pancakes warm on a covered plate or in a low oven while you cook the remainder.

Serve warm, topped with maple syrup at the table.

Serves about 4.

Pasta with Grilled Eggplant, Onion, and Tomatoes

Yet more grilling, as promised! This dish is fantastic, very satisfying. You could grill any of the vegetables separately as well, and use on their own or on pizza, where they would be excellent.

2 1/2 - 3 lbs eggplant, peeled
1/2 cup minced garlic
1/2 - 2/3 cup olive oil
2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
Ground black pepper to taste
1 large red onion, sliced about 1/2-inch thick
2 large tomatoes (or 1 huge one), in 1/2-inch slices
1 lb cut pasta (such as shells, penne, etc)
Grated Parmesan for topping (optional)

Slice the eggplant 1/2-inch thick in rounds or lengthwise depending on shape. Lay it out in a single layer on cookie sheets or plates.

Combine the garlic, olive oil, 2 tsp salt, and black pepper to taste. Brush this on the eggplant, both sides. Let sit for a few minutes.

Lightly brush the onion and tomato slices with olive oil (or with more of the garlic oil mixture if you have any left).

Grill the vegetables over medium heat:
4-5 minutes for the tomatoes, carefully turning once
8-9 minutes for the onions, turning once
12-15 minutes for the eggplant, turning once

Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water while the vegetables cook and cool, then drain and toss with a little olive oil.

When the vegetables are cool enough to handle, chop them coarsely and toss with the pasta.

Serve hot.

Serves 4-6.

Variations: 1) add cooked bacon or Italian sausage; 2) substitute zucchini or summer squash for some or all of the eggplant.