ITEMS
Red or Gold Raspberries
Head of Lettuce
Golden Beets
Fingerling Potatoes
Dill Pickles
Spiced Pepper Chèvre
Gluten Free Subscribers: Last Week's GF Linguine
PRODUCERS
Bear Canyon Farm - Bozeman
Lifeline Farm - Victor
Amaltheia Organic Produce - Belgrade
Towne's Harvest Garden - Bozeman
Roots Kitchen & Cannery - Bozeman
Amaltheia Organic Dairy - Belgrade
Seconde Pasta Co. - Billings
Marinated Beet Salad with Raspberries & Goat Cheese
Adapted from Cook's Country. Serves 6 as a side.
1 lb golden beets, scrubbed, tops and tails trimmed
1/2 C water
1/4 C sherry vinegar - sub white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar or balsamic vinegar...
2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves - sub ~1/3 tsp dried thyme
Salt and pepper
4 C lettuce leaves (~4 oz), rinsed, dried, and roughly chopped
2/3 C fresh raspberries
3 oz spiced pepper chèvre - sub blue cheese, feta, or plain chèvre
1/2 C hazelnuts, skinned, toasted, and chopped coarse - sub any nuts, sunflower seeds, pepitas, croutons, or crunchy things you like on your salad
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 F. Place a large sheet of aluminum foil on a rimmed baking sheet. Place the beets in center of foil and lift sides to form bowl. Add the 1/2 C water to beets and crimp foil tightly to seal. Leaving the beet packet on the baking sheet in case of leaks, roast until beets can be pierced easily with a fork, 1 - 1 1/2 hours. [Tip: roast the whole bag of beets (~2lb) and save 1/2 to use in another recipe.]
When beets are cool enough to be handled, cut them in half vertically, then into 1/2-inch thick wedges. You can also rub off the peels at this point, but I don't bother. In a large bowl, whisk together vinegar, oil, thyme, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper. Add the beets and toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate for anywhere from 30 min to a full day (if making ahead).
Arrange lettuce on serving platter or bowl. Spoon beets over greens and drizzle with remaining marinade. Arrange raspberries, dollops of spiced pepper chèvre, and nuts over top. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with extra oil if needed.
Warm Potato Salad with Goat Cheese
Adapted from Martha Shulman, NYTimes Cooking. Serves 6.
1 Tbs white wine vinegar or sherry vinegar
1 Tbs fresh lemon juice
1 tsp Dijon or whole grain mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
1/3 C extra virgin olive oil, or any neutral-tasting oil you like
1 1/2 lbs fingerling potatoes
Salt and pepper, to taste
2-3 Tbs red onion or shallot, chopped small - sub scallions, chives, or whatever you have
2 Tbs fresh herbs, chopped - parsley, basil, or dill are you best options
2 oz spiced pepper chèvre, or other soft goat cheese
Optional Additions: Diced dill pickles (2 Tbs or so), soft or hard boiled eggs, crispy bacon, celery
Combine the lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, garlic, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil until emulsified (or shake it all up in a jar). Taste and adjust seasoning, if needed. Set aside.
Rinse and scrub the potatoes, then cut into 3/4-inch-thick rounds. Place in a pot and cover with cold water by ~1 inch. Add a couple large pinches of salt and bring to a boil. Cook until potatoes are tender but not mushy, 5-10 min. Drain potatoes and, while still hot, toss with the onions, parsley, goat cheese, and vinaigrette until well-combined. The hot potatoes should help the goat cheese melt and become part of the dressing. Add any additional items, like dill pickles or bacon, and gently toss to combine. Taste for salt and pepper and adjust as needed. Serve warm!
Macerated Raspberries
This technique is similar to marinating, but the goal is not only to impart flavors but also to soften the fruit. The result will be a tasty, not-quite-jam-like topping for goat cheese & crostini, or roast pork, a mixed drink, or a dessert topping. Adapt the flavors as much as you like - leaning more savory or sweet, add a few tsps of liquor, use citrus juice instead of vinegar, add spices like black pepper or cloves, minced fresh ginger, etc...
1 pint fresh raspberries
1 Tbs balsamic vinegar - sub any vinegar or citrus juice
1 Tbs honey or sugar
pinch or two of salt
Fresh mint, basil, or thyme (optional)
Combine everything in a bowl and let sit ~20 minutes, or until mixture is syrupy, stirring occasionally. I'll be spooning it onto crackers and goat cheese. You do you!
Additional Recipes & Suggestions
Find 2 delish beet recipes here: Golden Beet, Fennel & Orange salad, and a Balsamic Roasted Beet Salad
This Raw Beet Slaw is spicy and delicious
Roasted fingerling potatoes with chive pesto (or any kind of pesto!)
This Patatas Bravas recipe is so good!
Lemon Honey Yogurt Cake with Fresh Raspberries - also favorite.