Gimme A Beet! :: Chef Mark Cleveland @ Hungry Harvest ::

Difficulty: Easy

Time:  Cooking time 45 mins, cooling time 2 hrs, completion 15 mins

Servings: 6 as a sauce, 12 or more as an appetizer

Are you learning to like the earthy flavor and garnet beauty of the mighty red beet?  Or are y’all already a cheerleader on Team Beet?  Either way, this recipe is for you!

Amount	Measure	Ingredient	Prep Method
1	Large	Beet
¼	Teaspoon	Salt

Wash the beet, cut off the greens leaving about an inch of stems.  Make sure to enjoy the greens in another dish.  Check out our Spuds Greens & Onions recipe.  Beet greens and the stems too would zing in this dish.  Try not to break the skin.  Beets come out sweet and juicy when “boiled in their jackets” as our wise culinary elders used to say. Cover with cool water in a small saucepan, add the salt, put a cover on the pan and set the pan over med high heat.  Set a timer for 15 mins.  When the water boils, reduce the heat to medium and set the timer for 30 mins more.  Turn off the heat and allow the beet to cool in the cooking liquid for several hours until it comes to room temp.  Rub the skin off the beet.  Big HINT for wee ones.  Beets are vividly purple pink and will stain your hands brightly.  But the color doesn’t really stain for long.  So get the kids involved rubbing the skins and pouring the cool cooking water down the drain.  Everyone is mesmerized by the gorgeous color and the more we get the kids involved the more likely they are to try new foods w/ excitement instead of dread. 

Next into a medium sized mixing bowl grate the beet along w/

1 or 2

Medium

Apples

Peel the apples if you like, or not as you wish.  Use more apples and sweet ones if you are trying to get used to the flavor of beets.  Use a sweet and a tart apple for added complexity.  Use 1 or 2 tart apples for a more beety tangy flavor.  Experiment.  Stir well, then add

2 to 4	Tablespoons	Favorite jam
1	Medium	Orange or tangerine	Juice & zest
1	Pinch	Sea salt	Optional
1/8 or more	Teaspoon	Cinnamon	Optional

Tasting as you go.  I like to use a 100% fruit sweetened jam.  For this batch (and in the photos today) I used Morello cherry, red grape, wild blueberry and pomegranate preserve.  

Stir well.  Add only as much zest and you enjoy and chill.   

This is great on savory dishes such as grilled meats & poultry and also delish used as a sweet savory topping for appetizers.  It’s particularly good w/ cheeses such as brie, Parmesan or white cheddar on bruschetta.  Taste it and experiment with flavor combinations.  We’ve paired it this week w/ our Hungry Harvest Easiest Roasted Yams.  It’s as delish as it is beautiful to look at.  Embrace your sweet and savory potential!

Eating Healthy & Delicious is a Win Win Win Situation!

Eat, Live & Party Well

Blog post by Chef Mark Cleveland

Chef Mark Cleveland has joined the team of Hungry Harvest creating recipe & culinary content for success in the kitchen with the amazing produce in each weekly Hungry Harvest box.  Visit www.hungryharvest.net/recipes/  for recipes, photos & More!  Follow HungryHarvest and ChefMarkCleveland on Instagram

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Beet Greens :: YES :: How To ::

The only thing not much good for eating on a bunch of beets is the rough skin on the beets themselves.  There's much flavor and nutrition to be had in both the stems and the greens.  Almost all the time at the green grocer we hear the produce & check out staff asking customers if they want to keep the beet greens.  And more often than not, they say no.  Well, Avantiacs always say yes.  Now, if they are bug eaten, wilted and tired as they often are in the summer, keep them for your back yard chickens or to compost.  And if you have neither a chick nor a compost bin, then do discard them.  But from early fall until late spring the mighty, organic beet greens are usually plump, rich and full of flavor potential.  

Indeed, they must be washed well, especially those that are organically grown.  It's easy to do.  Fill your sink or a wash tub w/ cool water, cut the greens and stems from the beets, just above the beet itself.  Put the greens and stems into the cool water and soak for about 15 mins.  Pull them out of the water and into a colander.  Rinse out the sink or tub and repeat.  I find that the lucky number 4 works best when washing the dirt off the greens and stems.  It's a little time consuming cutting the stems.  But hum a song, say a prayer and find your mojo as you tackle the task.  Here's what the stems and leaves look like when separated and the stems are cut nicely.

Next add the stems to a skillet along w/ a few cloves of minced garlic, your favorite sea salt blend, black pepper, extra virgin olive oil or grapeseed oil and a bit of liquid.  I prefer Japanese sake or an Italian dry white vermouth.  A little minced ginger and onion add flavor and healthful properties too.  See The Mighty Trinity Roots.  

We've added salt to the cold pan, since the beet stems are fibrous and we plan to sweat them.  Turn the heat to medium and bring to a simmer.  Stir frequently.  Once most of the liquid has cooked down, add a splash of water, then add the chopped beet leaves.  Stir once, put a lid on the skillet and turn the heat off.  Allow to steam and cool for about 15 mins.  Now these gorgeous flavorful greens are ready to use in any culinary way you can imagine.  Try them in pasta, on pizza, in risotto, w/ polenta, to flavor your favorite tagine.  Chicken and seafood adore them, savory rice porridge and oatmeals are enlivened.  Serve them w/ some capers or with the roasted or boiled beets as a dish on their own.

Once done, they look like this.  Ahhhh, scrumptious indeedy!

Voila!  A serving suggestion of the lovely golden and red beet greens paired w/ sauted mushrooms, whole roasted garlic cloves, whole wheat penne, brown & wild rice & basil blossom & organic homemade crema garnish.  Bon Apetit!

Eating Healthy & Delicious is a Win Win Win Situation!

Eat, Live & Party Well

Blog post by Chef Mark Cleveland

Avanti is the longstanding leader in organic, sustainable, local, flavorful cuisine in Orange County, CA.

Meaning 'forward' in Italian, Avanti Natural is a culinary philosophy that integrates the best of traditional European and Asian healthful eating with the latest nutritional information for optimum health.

Our successful restaurant Avanti Café was located on 17^th St in Costa Mesa from 2005 through 2014.  Follow us on social media to see what is new and in store for Avanti in our culinary futures.

At Avanti Natural, we believe that you don't have to sacrifice taste to eat healthy; you can Eat Well & Live Well

We are Whole Foods Experts  It’s time to take Avanti Natural to restaurant menus & kitchens everywhere.

Post photos of your versions of Avanti Natural recipes on our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages.  We’re excited to see and share your culinary creativity!

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