MARINATED ARTICHOKES, TURNIPS & BEETS WITH DATE & CRANBERRY PUREED

Date Puree:

• 1/2 cup Medjool Dates firmly packed
• 1/2 cup Filtered Water
• 2 tablespoons Orange juice freshly squeezed
• Sea Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper

Cranberry Puree:

• 1/2 cup Dried Cranberries
• 1/4 cup Filtered Water
• 1 tablespoon Lemon or Grapefruit juice freshly squeezed
• Sea Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper

Jalapeno Vinaigrette:

• 1 Jalapeno Chile seeded and chopped
• 1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Chives or Scallions chopped
• Sea Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper
  
  For the Salad:
  
• Golden Beets (or any) peeled and thinly sliced
• Turnips peeled and thinly sliced
• Artichokes, bottom chokes and stems removed bottom thinly sliced vertically and sliced, coated with freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 4 teaspoons Sherry Wine Vinegar Sea Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper
• 1 cup Lettuce Leaves

To make the date puree: In a high-speed blender, combine the dates, water, and orange juice and process until smooth. Pass the puree through a fine-mesh sieve and season to taste with salt and pepper. To make the cranberry puree: In a high-speed blender, combine the cranberries, water, and lemon juice and process until smooth. Pass the puree through a fine-mesh sieve and season to taste with salt and pepper. To make the jalapeno vinaigrette: Combine the jalapeno, olive oil, vinegar, and chives in a mortar and gently grind with a pestle. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Place the golden beets, the turnips, and the artichoke slices in separate bowls. Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste in a small bowl and divide evenly among the vegetables. Toss to coat. To assemble: Place a circle of the cranberry puree at 12 o’clock and a circle of the date puree at 6 o’clock on each plate. Roll the beet slices into cones and arrange over the purees. Place some artichoke and turnip slices in among the beets. Sprinkle the mache leaves over the vegetables. Spoon the vinaigrette around the 2 circles of puree.

RED AND YELLOW BEET SALAD With ORANGE VINAIGRETTE

This recipe was inspired by a dish at the deceased Symphony Cafe in New York City. The contrast with warm beets and goat or blue cheese is marvelous.

• 1 small bunch each of orange and red beets with greens attached
• 1 tablespoon minced shallots
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 cup each, fresh orange juice and apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• Salt and freshly white pepper to taste
• 1 orange, peeled and thinly sliced
• About 4 ounces crumbled low-fat goat or blue cheese
• 4 or 5 strands of fresh chives, roughly chopped

Clean and steam beets. As soon as beets are cool enough to handle, but still quite warm, remove skins and cut beets into 1/4-inch slices. Meanwhile, combine shallots, cloves, orange juice, vinegar, oil, salt and pepper. Line a platter with beet greens. Layer beets, alternating orange and red beets. Pour dressing over. Garnish outside with orange slices. Sprinkle top with crumbled goat or blue cheese. Top with chives. Serves 6.

YOUR CHOICE SALAD

• Your Choice Radishes, sliced and halved
• Your Choice Carrots, sliced
• Your Choice Lettuce leaves, torn to bite size
• Your Choice Citrus, peeled, membranes removed & sliced to bite size
• Arugula leaves steamed until wilted
• Arugula flowers, whole
• dressing of choice, or olive oil, lemon & sea salt,
• parsley, cilantro and/or dill, chopped (optional)

Prepare vegetables as above and toss.

Beet and Orange Soup

• beets with greens
• 5 cups stock
• 2 teaspoons red wine or apple cider vinegar
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup fresh orange juice
• Garnish: orange slices and fresh coriander sprigs

Scrub unpeeled beets well. Cut off the tops, chop them, and put them in a large saucepan. Shred the beets in a food processor or on a grater. Add them to the pan and cover with the chicken stock. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer 25 minutes. Strain the broth and discard the pulp. Add to the broth the vinegar, seasonings, and orange juice. To serve hot, reheat just enough to warm the orange juice. To serve cold, chill well in the refrigerator. Either way, garnish each soup bowl with a slice of orange and a sprig of fresh coriander.

BULL'S BLOOD BEETS IN ORANGE GINGER SAUCE

• Bull's Blood Beets, sliced thinly (1/8 inch)
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon ginger root, minced

Mix orange juice, honey, ginger and balsamic vinegar. Put beets in sauce pan or large skillet. Add other ingredients. Cook until beets are heated through and glazed.

CHIOGGGA BEET & FENNEL SALAD WITH FETA

from Bon Appétit

• large (3-inch-diameter) beets, all but 1 inch of tops trimmed
• beet greens from beets
• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 4 oranges1 small fresh fennel bulb, trimmed, quartered, cut into paper-thin strips
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 1/4 cup hazelnuts, toasted, husked, halved
• 1 small shallot, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• Coarse kosher salt, celtic sea salt
• Freshly ground white pepper
• green Romaine lettuce
• 1 1/2 cups coarsely crumbled feta cheese
• oranges

Preheat oven to 400°F. Place all beets in 9x9x2-inch metal pan. Drizzle 3 tablespoons oil over; sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Cover pan with foil and roast beets until tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Uncover and cool completely. Meanwhile, saute beet greens in olive oil, salt & peper to taste, until tender. When beets cool, peel and cut into 1/2-inch cubes, and place in large bowl; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before using. Cut all peel and pith off oranges. Working over medium bowl to catch orange juice, cut between membranes, releasing segments. Add 1 cup orange segments, fennel, mint, parsley, hazelnuts, and shallot to bowl with beets. Transfer 2 teaspoons orange juice to small bowl; whisk in vinegar and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season dressing to taste with salt and white pepper. Stir into beet mixture. Mound beet greens on large platter, top with lettuce leaves, torn and then beet salad mixture. Drain remaining orange segments; arrange on salad. Sprinkle with feta.

Roasted Beet Salad with Oranges and Beet Greens

Bon Appétit January 2004 The delicate beet greens — which are an excellent source of potassium, folic acid, and magnesium — make this dish even more healthful.

• 6 medium beets with beet greens attached
• 2 large oranges
• 1 small sweet onion, cut through root end into thin wedges
• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel
  Preheat oven to 400°F. Trim greens from beets. Cut off and discard stems. Coarsely chop leaves and reserve. Wrap each beet in foil. Place beets directly on oven rack and roast until tender when pierced with fork, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Cool. Peel beets, then cut each into 8 wedges. Place beets in medium bowl. Cook beet greens in large saucepan of boiling water just until tender, about 2 minutes. Drain. Cool. Squeeze greens to remove excess moisture. Add greens to bowl with beets. Cut peel and white pith from oranges. Working over another bowl and using small sharp knife, cut between membranes to release segments. Add orange segments and onion to bowl with beet mixture. Whisk vinegar, oil, garlic, and orange peel in small bowl to blend; add to beet mixture and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour.

Parsnips and Carrots with Orange Sauce

adapted from epicurious.com

• 2 cups water
• 1 pound parsnips, peeled; halved lengthwise, and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1 pound scrubbed carrots, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces
• 2/3 cup fresh orange juice
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest (try to find unwaxed oranges)
• 2 tablespoons butter

In a skillet combine the water, the parsnips, the carrots, and salt to taste, simmer the vegetables for 15 minutes, or until they are just tender, and stir in the orange juice. Simmer the mixture for 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender, and transfer the vegetables with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Boil the liquid until it is reduced to about 4 tablespoons, remove the skillet from the heat, and stir in the zest and the butter, stirring until the butter is melted. Spoon the sauce over the vegetables.