Buh-buh-buh-BEETS!

A combination of summer's finest seasonal ingredients, and my recent wanderings in Brighton Beach (known as "Little Russia" to the Brooklyn locals), has left me with a craving for beets.

Red, ripe, naturally sweet - I love them picked or steamed, in salads and soups. One of my favorite summer foods from my childhood was my mom's pickled eggs & beets, the eggs stained burgundy with the vinegary sweetness of the beet-infused pickling liquid.

This time, I whipped up a quick beet soup - it's super simple and, if you omit the yogurt or sour cream garnish, it's vegan too!

You'll Need:
2 medium sized red beets, peeled and diced into 1/2" cubes

1/2 one yellow onion, chopped

3-5 cloves garlic, chopped 

1tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

1/2 tsp lemon zest 

White pepper

Black pepper

Sea salt 

For the Garnish: 

Greek yogurt (or sour cream) 

Fresh dill (or parsley)

Add beets, onion, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper to a medium saucepan.
Fill with water just to the top of the beets, and bring to a boil.
Simmer until the beets are fork tender (the softness you'd want potatoes to be for mashed potatoes)
Add lemon zest just at the end, and remove from the heat.

Using a stick (immersion) blender, puree until smooth.
Garnish with Greek yogurt, or sour cream, and some fresh dill.
Enjoy!

      

Juicy.

Have you ever tried "real" grapes? Not the ones on grocery store shelves; no, I'm talking about the mouth-puckering, vibrant smelling grapes used in juice and wine making. If you haven't, you should. Quick! While they're in season- get your hands on some. You won't regret it. 

A local vineyard brought juice and fresh grapes to the farmers' market this past weekend. I smelled their stand before I saw it, whipping around instantly at the distinctive scent. It took me back to childhood walks in the woods with my father, and the smell of the wild grapes along the edge of the water in the fall.

I spent all afternoon slowly eating a bunch, careful to save all of the seeds. I'll be really excited if I can manage to get some vines growing next spring. 

I love the label on this bottle. Maybe I won't refrigerate the next one, tee hee...

Please excuse my gross burn wound scab thing on my hand. Such is the life of the (unprofessional) chef.

Market Months

New York is chock full of amazing markets in the summer months. Local farmers, purveyors, artists and producers band together in different locations every day of the week to bring the concrete jungle a little bit of the gifts of the great outdoors. Immeasurable physical and social benefits in less than half of a city block, right at your fingertips.

This summer, I've challenged myself to avoid grocery stores. Other than purchasing non-grocery supplies, I haven't set foot in a "real" grocery store since the warm months began to give way to these bountiful outdoor markets. Seasonal, fresh, fruitful... what's not to love? My greatest feelings of accomplishment stem from making a really simple, delicious, amazing meal out of my semi-weekly finds. 

Fresh.

I've posted before about the Broadway French Market, where I stop by each Tuesday and Friday on my lunch break to pick up amazing local produce and eats. 

This Tuesday's haul brought Romanesco cauliflower, fresh onions, a beautiful bunch of radishes, and a stunning head of purple cabbage. 

Thanks to a few of my favorite spices and seasonings, they all came together into a wonderful meal. 

Knowing that I've made something delicious from fresh, local, organic produce makes me feel great before I even eat it. 

Find a farmers market! Go local! Go fresh!!

Kale Yourself

Kale is my life right now.
I'm not new to the bandwagon, but I am on an extra kale-y kick this month, it seems.
I've been making juice, kale chips, braised kale, kale salads, kale soup....

I love to eat whatever is in season. Usually, though, I end up eating it so much that I'm sick of it after a few weeks. Which, in the summer months, is fine, because there are so many abundant different types of fruits and veggies this time of year.

Fresh is best!