ITEMS
Red Cabbage
Parsnips
Red Beets
Egyptian Dukkah or Za'atar
Stew Beef / Hummus
PRODUCERS
Ronniger Organics - Moyie Springs, ID
Ronniger Organics - Moyie Springs, ID
Amaltheia Organic Produce - Belgrade
Silk Road Spice Blends - Missoula, MT
Wickens Ranch - Winifred / Z's Kitchen - Bozeman
About Today's Ingredients:
Ronniger Organic Produce: This week, we have a few produce items from a farm in Idaho that is just a stones-throw from the Northwestern border of Montana. Western Montana Growers Co-operative is stocking their veggies this winter, and though it's not grown in MT, I'm happy to have it. I hope you are, too!
Dukkah or Za'atar: These are both Middle Eastern spice blends/condiments. Though they share some ingredients and can be used in similar ways, they're not exactly the same. Both, however, would be delicious on roasted root veggies like beets and parsnips, great for spice-crusted meats, or used as the final flourish to amp up texture and flavor. Dukkah is often eaten with bread dipped in olive oil, as a snack. But it makes a nice topping for many dishes, and I hope you have fun experimenting with it.
Warm Cabbage & Beet Salad
1 small red cabbage, or ~half of a large one
4 medium beets, or an approximate amount of small or large beets
1 onion - red or yellow both work, or shallot
juice of half a lemon
2-3 Tbs olive oil, plus more as needed
Salt and pepper, to taste
2-3 Tbs dukkah or za'atar, or to taste *see note
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Cut the cabbage in half, remove the core and then cut the rest into ~1/2-inch slices.
Rinse and scrub the beets well, remove tops and tails, then cut into 4-8 wedges, depending on size
Cut the onion into quarters, remove the skin and cut into thin wedges.
Combine the cabbage, onion and beets in a baking dish with the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Roast for 30-40 min, stirring once halfway through, until the beets are tender.
Out of the oven, sprinkle the dukkah or za'atar over the roasted vegetables and toss to coat. Use more or less to taste.
Serve warm, or let cool and refrigerate to serve later.
Notes: 1) Because za'atar has more herbs and spices in it, you may want to use less. Start small and taste as you go. 2) You can serve this on top of greens, or on a bed of plain yogurt, or simply as-is.
Cabbage Slaw with Dukkah (or Za'atar)
A crunchier, brighter version of the warm salad. Would be delicious alongside some warm Middle-eastern stewed beef and rice, perhaps. Serves ~4.
~1/2 a cabbage, shredded
1/4 C currants, raisins, cranberries, or other dried fruit
Zest and juice of 1 lime
1/4 C extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
Black pepper, to taste
1/4 C feta cheese or chèvre (optional)
Handful fresh parsley, chopped - sub cilantro or any fresh, tender herb you like
2 Tbs Dukkah or Za'atar
Combine the currants, lime, olive oil and seasoning in a small bowl and allow to rest for ~10-15 min.
Toss the shredded cabbage with the dressing, then top with cheese, herbs, and sprinkle with dukkah or za'atar.
Note: You could add a bit of grated raw red beet for this (or cooked and sliced), then add it to the dressing and dried fruit to let it marinate a bit before combining with the cabbage.
Roasted Beets with Dukkah
Adapted from Marcus Samuelson. Makes ~8 servings.
2 lbs small or medium red beets (~12 small or 8 medium)
2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbs sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
Kosher salt
~3 Tbs dukkah, or to taste (I don't see why you couldn't use za'atar, though you may want to start with less and taste as you go)
1/2 a small red onion or shallot, thinly sliced
1/4 C extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 C fresh lime juice
1/4 C thinly sliced sage - sage is potent herb. if you don't like it, sub basil or mint or a combo
Preheat oven to 425 F. Combine beets, oil, vinegar, several pinches of salt, and 1/4 C water in a baking dish. Cover tightly with foil and bake until beets are tender, 50–60 min. Uncover and let sit until cool enough to handle. Peel and cut each beet into 4-6 wedges.
Toss roasted beets, sliced onion, oil, lime juice, half of the sliced herbs, and the dukkah in a medium bowl to combine; season to taste with salt, and adjust dukkah, lime, or oil as needed. Arrange on a platter and top with more dukkah and remaining sliced herbs
Additional Recipe Suggestions
Use the parsnips and beets in a Roasted Vegetable & Quinoa Salad
Here's a Middle Eastern Beef Stew recipe you can play around with. I think probably either spice blend could be used in place of or in addition to the spices and nuts called for here.
Chinese Braised Beef Stew would use last week's daikon radish (mmmm, so good!)
Borscht, of course! Plus there's a Skillet Beet & Farro salad recipe here.
Here's a more serious Ukrainian Borscht recipe
And here are some ideas for what to do with stew beef if beef stew isn't calling you
Pasta & Parsnips may not seem like a dynamic duo, but I love it!
Vegetable Noodle Stir Fry - if you have some instant ramen noodles lying around, use them in stir fry with parsnip, cabbage, carrot, radish, or whatever sounds good to you