“The beet is the most intense of vegetables. The radish, admittedly, is more feverish, but the fire of the radish is a cold fire, the fire of discontent not of passion. Tomatoes are lusty enough, yet there runs through tomatoes an undercurrent of frivolity. Beets are deadly serious.
Slavic peoples get their physical characteristics from potatoes, their smoldering inquietude from radishes, their seriousness from beets.
The beet is the melancholy vegetable, the one most willing to suffer. You can’t squeeze blood out of a turnip…
The beet is the murderer returned to the scene of the crime. The beet is what happens when the cherry finishes with the carrot. The beet is the ancient ancestor of the autumn moon, bearded, buried, all but fossilized; the dark green sails of the grounded moon-boat stitched with veins of primordial plasma; the kite string that once connected the moon to the Earth now a muddy whisker drilling desperately for rubies.
The beet was Rasputin’s favorite vegetable. You could see it in his eyes.”
― Tom Robbins, Jitterbug Perfumed
I love Tom Robbins, and just had to put in this quote. This week is all about roots!!
Farm News: Potatoes hilled successfully, thanks to friend Georgia who came and helped me hook up the mules. They are not quite ready yet (the potatoes, that is) but will be soon.
Curtis and I are leaving Thursday to go to Logan’s graduation. Can’t believe he is graduating from high school. He has grown up to be such a special person, we are so proud of him. So remember, if you are a Thursday delivery, it will be Wednesday instead this week.
What’s in the bucket? roots!! onions, turnips, beets. Also, Napa cabbage, red and green leaf lettuce, snow or sugar snap peas, mesclun greens mix, basil, and strawberries.
I did a roots mix for dinner the other night. I cut the beets in wedges and left the sprig of green on the top to be fancy. I roasted the beets separate from the onions and turnips so they wouldn’t bleed all over everything. I cut the small onions in half, and cut the turnips in wedges. tossed everything in olive oil, salt and pepper. Roasted until golden and crispy, and then squeezed a lemon wedge over the top when they came out of the oven. Delish!!
Following – a simple recipe for a Napa cabbage saute.
Serves 4
Napa cabbage, also known as Chinese cabbage, has crunchy leaves that pair well with a light sauce. Similar to bok choy, but more delicate (use either in this recipe), Napa cabbage is more elegant than regular firm-headed green cabbage. Slice the head of Napa lengthwise in half and remove the core. Roughly chop into 2-inch pieces. Then cook the cabbage in a searing hot skillet – high heat is essential – to caramelize the leaves. Saute in two batches so overcrowding doesn’t steam the vegetables. It’s fast and good for you.
3 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 small head (about 1 pound) Napa cabbage, cut into 2-inch pieces
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1 piece fresh ginger ( 1/2 inch), cut into matchsticks
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 cup soy sauce
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
1. In a large skillet or wok, heat 1 teaspoon of the vegetable oil . When it is very hot, add half the cabbage. Cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes or until leaves begin to brown. Remove them from pan. Use 1 teaspoon of the remaining vegetable oil to cook the remaining cabbage in the same way; remove from the pan.
2. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon vegetable oil to pan. Cook the garlic and ginger, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
3. In a small bowl, stir together the water and cornstarch. Stir the soy sauce into the pan. Add the cornstarch mixture and bring to a boil.
4. Return all the cabbage to pan, stirring well to coat it all over. Cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes or until the cabbage is tender.
5.Remove from the heat. Stir in the scallions and vinegar.
Thanks for buying local food from Circle S.