Color of Beets

The color of beets remind me of fall and that a seasonal change is close at hand. Beets are one of those vegetables that people either love or hate. I happen to be in the love camp and not only because of the taste. When there are rich burgundy colored beets and golden yellow ones, ones variegated and pink in tone, it effects me in the same way colorful heirloom tomatoes do and therefore I love to eat them without much interference in the way of other ingredients.

Beet Salad - serves 4-6
Modified from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone

Put 1 1/2 - 2 lbs beets, scrubbed but unpeeled in a baking dish. Add 1/4" water to the dish and cover. Bake at 375 for about 40 minutes. Rinse beets under cold water and rub off the skin.

For Salad: Cut beets into wedges, keeping different colors separate. Sprinkle goat cheese or other favorite cheese. Arugula is a nice compliment or green leaf lettuce. A nice olive oil based dressing is a favorite.

Bowls reminiscent of colorful beets....

Strawberries: last of the month

Of course, there is nothing better than a strawberry eaten on the day it was picked, but here's an idea to extend that taste. We've started freezing ours in small batches to use in smoothies. Plug in your blender, throw in a handful of frozen strawberries, some vanilla yogurt and some milk. Blend, pour and sip through a brightly colored straw... now that a summer treat that can be made year round!

Click on the jam jar photo to find a delicious strawberry jam recipe.

Painting a "strawberry" bowl...

Take Ten

I found myself picking strawberries at a frantic pace when I realized that wasn't the point. Slow Food is all about taking the time to enjoy the process. So I took a deep breath, marveled at the beautiful red of the strawberries and listened quietly to the giggling children calling out, "I found one!"

Sipping red zinger tea in my favorite mug and reading my new Farmer Brown Cookbook...