All Recipes

Here's a basic way to use eggplant, and you really can't go wrong by even adding in a few other veggies to this simple recipe.

• cooking oil
• Eggplant, peeled and chopped
• Other veggies, chopped (optional)
• garlic, minced
• red chili flakes
• parmesan cheese, grated

Heat oil on medium.  Add eggplant and optional other veggies and stir-fry until almost tender.  Add garlic and chili flakes and stir for 1 more minute.  Remove from heat and top with parmesan cheese.

This is an easy recipe, but not a fast one because you are waiting for the infusion process to work.  I like to use it in salad dressings or over cooked greens like kale or Swiss chard.  Enjoy!

• approx 1 quart vinegar (I like raw apple cider vinegar, but any would work)
• 1 large handful of fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
• garlic cloves, optional

Add the basil leaves and optional garlic to the jar.  Cover with vinegar.  Add a lid.  Let stand at room temperature for 2 weeks.  Taste and if you like the flavor, strain.  If it's still weak, let stand another week and repeat process until you're satisfied with the flavor.  Store in your cupboard until its gone! 

1.5 packed cups basil
2-3 cloves garlic, peeled
¼ - ½ tsp sea salt
3 tbls nuts (pine nuts are traditional, but we often use walnuts)
3 tbls Parmesan cheese, grated
4 tbls olive oil

Place basil in food processor, pulse until chopped. Add remaining ingredients (if you want you can save out the olive oil until last and add it using the attachment that lets you add liquids drop by drop) and process to a smooth paste. Pesto lasts several days in the fridge, if sealed. It also freezes excellently. Serve mixed into pasta or on pizza instead of tomato sauce. It’s also good with meat or fish.

1bunch beets, cooked and chopped
1-2 medium cucumbers, peeled and chopped
½ cup crumbled feta cheese
¼ cup basil, minced

Combine above ingredients.

Dressing:
Whisk together below ingredients and pour over salad:

4 TBLS olive oil
2 teaspoons lemon Juice
2 teaspoons vinegar (cider or red wine)
salt and pepper to taste

• ¾ cup carrots, peeled and grated
• 1 ½ cups beets, peeled and grated
• 1 cup potatoes, peeled and grated
• ¼ cup flour
• 1-2 eggs, beaten
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Cooking oil
• Feta cheese, sour cream, yogurt to top, optional

Preheat oven to 450 and put in two baking sheets. Combine carrot, beet, and potato. Squeeze out and discard as much juice as possible using cheesecloth or a towel. Mix veggies with flour, egg, garlic, cumin and salt and pepper. Drop spoonfuls onto greased baking sheets and press down into patties, trying to keep edges smooth without stray bits sticking out to burn. Bake, turning once, for 25 mins. Serve with optional topping.

¼ cup chopped nuts of choice
2-3 oz cheese, cut into ½” cubes or grated
1 bunch kale, midribs removed, thinly sliced
1 bunch beet roots, boiled or roasted & chopped
¼ red onion, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1-2 tsp vinegar (balsamic or cider)
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp honey
Salt and pepper to taste

Whisk together lemon juice, vinegar, oil, honey, salt and pepper. ‘Massage’ kale leaves with dressing. Let sit 10 minutes. Mix in remaining ingredients and serve.

*Optional: add steamed beet greens to the salad.

A hash can be made with many kinds of veggies and here's one version that is delicous with eggs for breakfast.  Feel free to substitute here for other veggies if you don't have these.

1 pound beets, peeled and cut into a 1/2 inch dice
3/4 pound potatoes, cut into a 1/2 inch dice
2-3 tablespoons oil
1 small onion, diced
salt and pepper
red chili flakes

Boil beets and potatoes until tender.  Drain well.  Heat skillet add oil and onion.  Add potatoes and beets.  Sautee stirring  until onions turn translucent and the potatoes turn golden, about 5-10 minutes.  Serve hot with eggs.  Leftovers can be reheated easily, too.

This roasting technique is delicious!  But only the leaves can get crispy, not the stems and roots so you can remove those and use them in a separate application if desired.  Otherwise throw them in, too, for a delicous beet dish with incredible sweetness.

1 bunch of beet greens, leaves removed from stems and baby roots (either reserved or added in), washed and dried
oil
salt

Very lightly drizzle oil over beet greens and toss to coat on both sides.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper or foil and lay the beet greens on these.  Sprinkle with salt.  Bake at 350 degrees for 5 minutes, turn over and bake another 5 mintues or until crispy.  Do not walk away from the oven since these cook very fast!

• 1 bunch beet greens, chopped
• 1 bunch scallions, chopped
• 1-5 garlic scapes, chopped
• 1 bunch salad turnips + greens, chopped
• Cooking oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

Sauté above ingredients until tender crisp. Combine the following into a sauce and add to sauté for 1 min:

• 2 TBLS peanut butter 
• 2 TBLS curry paste or powder
• 2 TBLS soy sauce
• 1 TBLS grated ginger root
• ½ bunch minced parsley

Add a little water and cook covered until everything is very tender. Add 1-2 cups coconut milk and a squeeze of lemon. Serve over rice. 

This can be made with any kinds of cheese.  I have suggestions here but you could switch it up and it will still be amazing!

• 8 slices thick bacon, cut into 1" peices
• 1/4 sliced onion or green onion
• 1 bunch beet greens, rinsed well and chopped, including the little beets
• 2 garlic scapes minced, or garlic cloves to taste
• 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese
• 4 oz goat cheese, crumbled
• fresh basil, chopped or other fresh herb or favorite dried herb(s)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 8 eggs, beaten

Cook the bacon in an oven safe skillet until crisp.  Remove bacon from skillet.  Remove fat from skillet, but retain.  Wipe out skillet if it has stuck parts.  Add back 1 TBSP bacon fat, or as needed, and add onion, beet greens, and garlic scapes.  Saute on medium until softening, stirring.  Add bacon back into skillet.  Add cheeses, salt and pepper, and any herbs you want.  Add eggs and stir to combine everything.  Cover and cook on low until starting to set.  Remove lid, put under broiler for approx. 3 min to brown top.  Serve hot or room temperature.  Yum!

You can also make this with other greens including chard, kale, spinach and more!  Great healthy breakfast option!

• 6 TBLS cooking oil
• ½ cup chopped scallions
• 1 bunch beet greens, leaves and stems chopped separately, roots diced
• 1 bag ‘Tatsoi’, chopped
• 1/2 cup white wine
• Salt, pepper, and chili flakes to taste
• 2 tsp garlic (or garlic scapes), minced
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 6 eggs
• ½ cup feta or goat cheese, crumbled

Heat oil in large skillet. Add scallions, and beet greens’ stems and diced roots and stir-fry until softening, 5-7 min. Add beet green leaves and ‘Tatsoi’ and stir-fry until wilted, 4-5 min. Add wine, seasonings, garlic, and broth and stir-fry 2-4 min, until most liquid is absorbed. Crack eggs over veggies, cover and cook until whites have set, 3-5 min. Serve hot with cheese crumbled over top.

• 3 TBLS cooking oil
• 1/4-1/2 cup onion, chopped
• 1 cup steamed beet greens, chopped
• 1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• ½ tsp red pepper flakes
• Salt to taste
• ½ tsp dried basil
• 4 oz cheese of choice, grated
• 4 slices bread

Heat oil in large skillet over med heat. Saute onion until softened. Add beet greens, tomato, garlic, red pepper, salt, and basil. Stir-fry until everything is hot and any liquid from veggies is mostly gone. Meanwhile, toast bread until lightly browned. Spoon veggies onto toast, top with grated cheese, and toast for additional 2-3 min until cheese is melted. Serve hot. 

This is a delicious recipe that you can alter to your liking based on what proportions of the ingredients you add.  Go wild!

½ to ¾ cup walnuts, toasted
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 cup leftover cooked beets, chopped
1 tablespoon tahini or other nut butter of choice
1-2 cloves garlic, minced (or to taste)
1-2 tablespoons lemon juice (or to taste)
Olive oil, salt and pepper (or to taste)

Blend nuts in food processor to a fine crumble.  Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until a smooth paste.  Taste and add more of any of the ingredients as needed.  Serve cold as a spread or dip and store in the refrigerator.

3 pounds beets

For the dressing:
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon honey (or to taste)
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt

For the garnish:
fresh herbs like mint, cilantro, dill, etc.

Trim and wash beets, and leave whole if quite small (1 1/2 to 2 inches in diameter) or peel and coarsely chopped if larger.  Spread on a cookie sheet, toss with olive oil and roast in a 400 degree oven for 1 hour or until tender.  Cool beets, remove skins, and chop into bite sized pieces if roasted whole.  Combine dressing ingredients and pour over cool beets.  Toss well to coat.  Serve immediately or chill to marinate and serve later.  Top with fresh mint upon serving.  Beautiful and delicious!

One of our favorite ways to use beets during the hot summer months is to make a cold salad with them.

1 bunch beet roots, chopped into bite-size pieces
1-2 tbls of minced onion (or green onion tops)
2-3 oz chevre (soft goat cheese), plain or herbed
2 tbls minced walnuts
2-3 tbls olive oil
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbls minced fresh herbs (chives, dill, parsley, etc.), optional

Boil beets until tender. Drain and cool. Put in a bowl and mix in onion, chevre, and walnuts. In a small bowl or jar mix together olive oil, vinegar and optional herbs. Pour this over your beet mixture and serve cold.

1 bunch beets (roots only), about 3/4 to 1 pound
3 tbls butter
3 cups water
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tbls chives, chopped (optional)
Sour cream

Chop beets into 1/2” cubes. Heat butter over medium-low heat in a heavy-bottomed pot. Add beets and sauté gently for 30 minutes or until tender. Add water, bring to a boil, and simmer for 15 minutes. Puree, either with a handheld blender, or by allowing it to cool slightly before pureeing in a blender. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve garnished with optional chives and a dollop of sour cream. Serves 2-4.

This recipe is adaptable to how much time you have.  I had roasted a whole bunch of garlic and had it in the fridge so I used roasted garlic and boiled beets.  You could also roast the beets and the garlic together until tender, probably about 1 hour, before proceeding with the recipe.  It'll be tasty no matter how you make it!

2 pounds beets, cooked and skins removed (either roasted or peeled, chopped and boiled)
4 (or more) garlic cloves, (preferably roasted, but raw is fine, too)
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
sour cream
fresh dill, minced (optional)

Puree a little bit of broth with the beets, garlic, salt, pepper, and thyme together until smooth.  Add more broth to get the right thickness and heat until hot.  Combine the horseradish with sour cream to taste.  Serve soup hot in bowls with dollops of the horseradish sour cream on top.  Garnish with the optional fresh dill.

¾ cup pureed beets (roots peeled, chopped, boiled, drained & pureed)
¼ cup applesauce
3 eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon oil
Butter, salt and pepper to taste
*Optional toppings: Sweet: maple syrup & whipped cream; Savory: goat cheese or feta cheese or sour cream with parsley

Combine beets, applesauce, and eggs and season with salt and pepper to make batter.  Heat oil in skillet, and fry spoonfuls of the batter on both sides.  Top with butter and optional toppings.

Beets and Sausage Mash

1 pound beets or 1 bunch beets (greens removed), chopped
4 TBSP cooking oil
1 pound natural spiced sausage
salt and pepper

Boil beets until tender.  Drain and mash.  Heat oil in skillet and cook sausage until cooked through.  Add beets, stir to thoroughly mix, season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.  Makes 4-6 main dish servings. 

Our friend Billi at the Orono Farmers Market says she makes this dish when she's the featured chef at "Taste of the Market" at various farmers markets around Maine and it is always a huge hit with everyone!

This recipe is flexible, so play around with it!  So refreshing!

• watermelon, seeded
• lime juice
• fresh mint

Cut about a quarter of the watermelon off to start.  Dig out the melon with a big spoon and put it in your blender.  Fill it right up because when you blend it, it will about halve.  Snip up 4 or 5 mint leaves (or more) and squeeze a half a lime in the blender.  Whizz into a drink.  Taste to see if you want more mint or more lime.  Drink.  Leave it thick and more like a smoothie or add a bit of water and/or ice. 

• ¼ pound garlic scapes, chopped into 3” pieces
• 2 TBLS cooking oil
• ¼ - ½ tsp salt

Heat oil on medium in skillet. Add garlic scapes and salt. Stir to coat. Let scapes sit undisturbed 4-5 min until blisters develop. You want the oil to be just below smoking. Remove from heat. Stir around and leave in pan a couple minutes to crisp the rest of the way.

• 1 lb. green beans, ends removed
• 4 TBSP olive oil, divided
• Salt to taste
• 3-6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste

Preheat broiler to high. Add 2 TBSP oil, garlic, and chili flakes to small skillet. Heat on low. Place green beans on foil lined baking sheet. Toss with 2 TBSP oil and salt. Broil until starting to char, 2-4 min. Toss. Broil until blistered to your liking, 2-4 min. Turn oil up to medium and stir until garlic begins to brown at edges. Toss oil mixture with beans and serve hot.

2-3 tablespoons butter or oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons ginger root, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 to 1 small head green cabbage, or 1/4 to 1/2 medium head, very thinly sliced or shredded (about 3-4 cups)
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds, crushed
salt to taste
1+ cup water

In large skillet heat oil over medium heat.  Add onion and saute, stirring until softened, about 5 minutes.  Stir in ginger and garlic and cook 30 seconds stirring constantly.  Add cabbage, cumin seeds, and salt.  Increase heat to medium-high and stir frequently to prevent sticking for about 5 minutes or until cabbage begins to wilt.  Add water and cook,  stirring as needed until cabbage is very tender and water has evaporated.  This should probably take about 10 minutes, but add more water if necessary.
 

3 tablespoons butter
1 bunch carrots, sliced crosswise
¼ cup chicken stock or water
1 tablespoon vinegar (I used apple cider)
1 tsp sugar or maple syrup
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon minced dill

Heat butter in skillet on medium.  Add carrots, stock, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper.  Simmer covered until just tender, about 5 minutes.  Uncover and turn up the heat to reduce the liquid to a sauce.  Add dill and mix.  Serve.

• Cooking oil
• 1 garlic scape, minced (or 1 clove garlic)
• 1 slice fresh ginger root, peeled and cut into strips
• 1 bunch pac choi, halved lengthwise, and rinsed
• ½ cup water
• 1 TBLS soy sauce
• hot chili flakes, to taste

Heat oil in skillet and sauté garlic and ginger quickly for 10 seconds. Add pac choi, water, soy sauce, and hot pepper. Simmer covered until fork tender, about 5-10 minutes, depending on size. Flip pac choi halfway through to cook evenly.