Category Archives: Recipes

beets …

August 17, 2012

I’ll admit, I was hesitant to try beets for years.  I am not really sure why, perhaps it is because I didn’t eat them a lot growing up.  I recently have taken a liking to beets, and while at the farmers market the other day, I spotted some fresh homegrown beets.  I decided to give them another try, and I brought them home and decided to make a nice beet salad completed with a light vinaigrette, chives and goat cheese.  This salad was very tasty, and it would also be amazing on top of a nice bead of greens!
{Beet Salad with Goat Cheese Chives and Vinaigrette}
Serves 4
4 medium to large roasted beets, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup of crumbled goat cheese
1 tablespoon of fresh chives, chopped
Place all ingredients in a medium bowl.
Vinaigrette
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp dijon mustard
a few shakes sea salt
a few shakes fresh ground pepper
3/4 cup olive oil
To Roast beets, heat oven to 350 degrees.  Cut the tops and roots off of the beets.  Pierce it with a fork several times, and place them in a baking dish with the skins on.  Roast in the oven for about 1 hour and a half, or until the beets are soft all the way through when you pierce it with a fork.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool.  Peel/cut the skins off the the beets and slice.  Store in the fridge for up to a week.
In a small bowl, whisk vinegar, mustart, salt, and pepper.  Slowly drizzle in oil while wisking.
Add vinaigrette to the beets, just until coated (there may be extra vinaigrette)
Enjoy!

Recipe // honey cherry yogurt popsicles

August 9, 2012

This summer has been record heat in these parts, and it doesn’t seem to be letting up anytime soon!  My children were begging me to make popsicles the other day, and when I opened the refrigerator, there weren’t many options as far as fruit goes, until I spied some dark cherries.  We decided to combine them with our favorite greek yogurt, and honey to make some tasty and healthy popsicle’s in no time!
{Dark Cherry Honey Yogurt Popsicles}
2 cups plain greek yogurt

1 cup dark cherries, pitted
2-4 tbs honey (to taste)

Place ingredients in a blender, and blend until smooth.  Adjust honey to get the sweetness you desire, and poor into popsicle molds.  Small cups and wooden sticks or spoons will also do the trick!
Place in the freezer for an hour or two to set up!
Enjoy!

Recipe // shallot herb vinaigrette

August 2, 2012

I love to eat a light salad for lunch on hot summer days.  I have been doing my best to take advantage of all the wonderful fresh herbs in my garden, so I decided to make a nice herb vinaigrette with shallots.
It is a great on any summer salad, and especially good on radishes and cucumbers!  Add it to a salad and serve it with your favorite summertime meal!

1 tablespoon dijon mustard [i prefer maille brand]
1/2 tsp coarse salt [like sea salt]
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp agave nectar
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp walnut oil [found locally at target], optional
1 small shallot, minced
1 tbs fresh chives, minced
1 tbs fresh oregano, minced
1 tbs fresh basil, minced
1 tbs fresh mint, minced
1 small clove of garlic, minced

{Shallot Herb Vinaigrette}
Makes about 1 cup [8 ounces]
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
In a blender at vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper, agave, shallot, herbs and garlic.  Blend for a few seconds in incorporate.
Run the blender on low, and slowly drizzle in olive oil, and walnut oil.
Serve over your favorite salad.  It is great over radishes, cucumbers.  Salad above: Arugula, hard boiled eggs, radishes, peas.
Enjoy!

{photo by caroline armelle drake}