Sweet Beet Kisses

I love beets.

Love 'em.

But somehow I have totally forgotten this fact over the last few years, or maybe it's more that the offering from local stores & farmer's markets failed to wow me.

Well, it's all fixed now, I found a gorgeous bunch the other day and ate the first one right away, steamed, with salt and pepper.

Divine.

The second was tossed into a once-green salad for dinner.

And the last beet, well I wasn't sure what to do with it.  This chocolate beet cake tempted me for a while, but since I'd already had my sugar quota for the week, I decided to save it for later.  

So when Reese suggested smoothies for breakfast I knew exactly what to do.

Now, I'll be honest, this one is still a work in progress, but we all enjoyed the results of the testing.

I think I'll probably try adding some crystallized ginger next time, and it just feels like it might need something else...I'll have to keep thinking on that one.  

But give 'er a go, that beautiful magenta is enough to make up your mind, isn't it?

Oh, and I nearly forgot- leftovers make some oh-so-popular popsicles!

Sweet Beet Smoothie

1 large beet, steamed, boiled, or roasted, small diced

1/2 c. frozen blueberries

1/2 frozen banana

1/2 c. plain greek yogurt

1 c. orange juice

Toss it all into a blender and process until smooth.  Enjoy!  Pour any leftovers into popsicle forms and freeze for a later treat.

A Warm Spring Salad

Well, the snow has officially melted (fingers are crossed while saying that, of course!), and we spend our afternoons playing stickball and hopscotch in the park behind our house, with the occasional walk to socialize with the local goats (we'll introduce you soon).

Spring is finally here!

And with it, a craving for leafy things and newness.

I'm an advocate for eating the seasons, and have a personal quest to introduce my kids' 

palates to every vegetable and flavor the world has to offer, so naturally when I saw 

a particularly lovely bundle of brussel sprouts at the grocery store the other day

I scooped them up- along with an equally gorgeous bunch of kale- 

a vegetable I've been itching to experiment with.

All that being said, last night I was in the mood for a salad, but temperatures being on the chilly side of the season had me craving something warm.  And that, my friends, is how this little gem was born: me donning a cardigan, sorting through the refrigerator, and grabbing anything that had the makings of a life-long friendship.

The mix of vegetables and bacon roasted in the oven is wonderful and aromatic and will have your house smelling cozy and delicious, but the real stars of the show are the homemade, over-sized croutons and the honey mustard dressing.  Both kale and brussel sprouts tend to have a slight bitter finish, and the sweetness of the honey really brings it all together.  

And with that culinary epistle I'll show you a few pictures, and share a recipe.

Warm Kale & Brussel Sprout Salad w/ Bacon
and Homemade Croutons

1/2 bunch organic kale, roughly chopped
1-1/2 lb brussel sprouts, halved
6-8 slices bacon, thinly sliced (I used turkey bacon)
1 small onion, julienne cut
6 oz mushrooms, sliced
olive oil to drizzle (I used about 1/4 cup)
aged balsamic vinegar to drizzle (I used about 2 Tbs)
kosher salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 F.  Once cut, spread all vegetables out on a jellyroll pan, drizzle with oil, vinegar, and salt and pepper.  Using your hands, toss everything together and spread it evenly over the pan.  Roast until vegetables are soft and slightly caramelized, about 18-20 min, rotating pan halfway through.


For the Croutons
1/4- 1/3 stale artisan bread, sliced and cubed (keep in mind, the bigger the cubes the more exciting it is!)
Olive oil to drizzle (I used about 2-3 Tbs)
2-3 tsp Montreal steak seasoning

In a bowl toss ingredients together, spread out onto a sprayed jellyroll pan & bake at 400 F until crispy and golden brown, about 10-15 minutes.  Remove and allow to cool on pan.  Set aside until ready to top salads.


For the Honey Mustard Dressing
3 Tbs clover honey
3 Tbs dijon mustard
1/4-1/3 c. olive oil (extra virgin or light blend work equally well)

Whisk together the honey and mustard, slowly whisk in the oil, a few drops at a time.  Continue whisking in the same direction to create an emulsion.  Finish with a pinch of kosher salt to taste.

To assemble the salads pile the warm vegetable mix on a plate, drizzle with dressing, top with croutons, and serve.  This is also delicious with grilled, sliced chicken breast if you feel so inclined.  Bon Appetit!

Ruby Red Grapefruit Scones

Anyone who knows me well knows I frequently fall into an obsession with baking ingredients.

There was the cardamom craze of '07,

a whirlwind of pomegranate and italian plums in '09,

and I've only recently moved past a three-year candied-ginger-fix -

though I still have quite the soft spot for Margaret Fox's  Pumpkin Pancakes with Crystallized Ginger Butter.

Anyway, I mentioned a while back I'd purchased a new book by Nancy Silverton, and, 

as promised, I baked.  

I gotta tell you I feel the beginning of a new era:  Grapefruit.

I know it isn't anything new, but somehow every year I forget all about them and then have this mind-blowing Ah-ha! moment of rediscovery sometime in January, when the winter days a particularly long and 

summer feels light years away.

I've seen a few grapefruit scone recipes out there,

but decided to create my own based on Nancy's Ginger Scone recipe-

It's a wonderful base for your imagination to go wild, and the end result is tender, flaky, and not too sweet.

Without further ado...

Some pictures, 

a Sugar Snitch, 

and a stellar recipe.

Work the zest of a lemon and a ruby red grapefruit into the sugar-

rub it really well to get all the flavor and oils into the sugar!

 Peel and segment your grapefruits, taking care to remove the seeds--

and save all the juice that's sure to run out, we'll be using that!

 After combining the dry ingredients in your food processor, add the cubes of frozen butter and pulse until the mixture becomes the consistency of fine meal.

Pour the mix into a large bowl and create a well in the center.

Fill the well with the cream, the grapefruit juice, and your diced grapefruit segments.

Using your hand, work from the center out and draw the dry ingredients inward 

until everything just comes together. 

Wash and dry your hands, then dump the dough out onto a lightly-floured work surface.

Knead it a few times- no more than 10- and cut the mass into two pieces.  

Shape each into a ball, flatten into a disc, and using a chef knife,

cut each into six wedges.

Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet, giving about 1" space between each wedge.

Brush with cream, and cover the tops with the remaining citrus sugar.

Oh, and watch out for Sugar Snitches!!

Pop those pans in the freezer for about ten minutes (this helps the scones spread less & keep their shape),

then into a 400 F oven for 12-16 minutes, 

until the tops are cracked and the scones are light brown.

Grapefruit Scones

adapted from Ginger Scones, Nancy Silvertons Pastries from La Brea Bakery

2 1/4 c. unbleached pastry flour or unbleached all-purpose flour

2/3 c granulated sugar

1 Tbs. baking powder

zest of 1 ruby red grapefruit

zest of 1 lemon

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into 1" cubes and frozen

2 grapfruits, peeled, segmented, and cut into small chunks

1/4 c. grapefruit juice

1/2 c. heavy cream, plus extra for brushing the tops of the scones

Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 400 F.

Zest the grapefruit and lemon and, using your fingers, rub the zest into the sugar.  

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, or in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, 1/3 c. of the sugar, and baking powder, and pulse or mix on low to incorporate.  Add the butter, and pulse on and off or  mix on low until the mixture is pale yellow and the consistency of fine meal.

Transfer the mixture to a large bowl, and make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.  Pour in the cream, juice, and add the segmented grapefruit slices.  Using one hand, draw in the dry ingredients, mixing just until combined.

Wash and dry your hands and dust them with flour.  turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and gently knead a few times to gather it into a ball.  Divide the dough in half and roll or pat each into a circle about 3/4" thick.  Cut each round into six wedges.

Place the scones 1" apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Brush the tops with cream, and sprinkle with the remaining citrus sugar.  

Freeze 10 minutes, then bake 12-16 minutes, until the surface cracks and they are slightly browned.