beets

Get back to your root vegetables at the Pacific Beach Tuesday Farmers’ Market with carrots from Kawano Farm or beets from Maciel Farm. Try turnips from Suzie’s Farm, JR Organics’ parsnips, or kohlrabi from Gilbert Quintos Farm.

Toss your favorites with Basil Garlic Parmesan Oil from Bistro Blends for roasted root vegetables, or combine beets with chevre from Nicolau Goat Farm and Hopkins AG pistachios in this gorgeous Napoleon. Go raw with root vegetable slaw or get warm with spicy roasted parsnips (featuring apples from Smit Orchards).

Pick up a pastured bird from Descanso Valley Ranch for this one pot chicken with roasted vegetables, or try these delicious baked root veggie chips that are perfect for dipping in Bitchin’ Sauce.

Celebrate your roots!

Spruce up supper with a wide variety of winter herbs from the Little Italy Mercato; look for parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme at Suzie’ Farm, JR Organics or Gilbert Quintos Farm; Schaner Farms has bundles of herbs de Provence and Rivera’s Treasure Garden has a huge selection of potted herbs to take home and plant in your window box.

Visit your favorite rancher and make an herb-roasted chicken, pick up baby potatoes from Polito Farm’s booth to toss with a handful of fresh chervil or tarragon, or pick up locally caught grouper at Poppa’s Fresh Fish or Salmon Slinger for citrus baked grouper with thyme.

Go to Maciel Farm or Kawano Farms to make this herb and beet salad and use Springhill Cheese Company butter and fresh chives to make this turnip roots & greens ragout.

Herb is the word!

Love them or hate them (and people tend to go one way or another), you can find deep scarlet, orange and yellow beets at the Pacific Beach Tuesday Farmers' Market now, fresh from the fields at Suzie's Farm, Maciel Farm or Proios Family Farm. 

Honestly, I've always loved beets, long before the market made it easy to bring a bunch home any fall or winter Thursday. Rows and rows of jars of pickled beets glinted like rubies in my grandmother's pantry, and she was always happy to slide a few onto a plate beside a sandwich or stain a salad with a few slices. 

If you're dealing with a skeptic, try these salty Parmesan Beet Chips made easy with garlic infused olive oil from California Olive. Toss roasted chunks with crumbled fresh goat cheese from Springhill Farm and greens from J.R. Organics and you'll rival the best restaurants in town. Or disguise and conquer with these crazy Beet Brownies: that's what we call a jazz beet!

JAZZ BEET

Honestly, I've always loved beets, long before the North Park Farmers' Market made it easy to bring a bunch home any fall or winter Thursday. Rows and rows of jars of pickled beets glinted like rubies in my grandmother's pantry, and she was always happy to slide a few onto a plate beside a sandwich or stain a salad with a few slices. 

My husband? His only memories of beets involved chalky cubes in paper cups in the school cafeteria. For decades, he wouldn't touch them with a ten-foot pole bean. One night I mixed some into a pan of roasted veggies figuring he could pick around them, but he came back for more of that candy caramelized version before he knew what they were. Then came thick sliced beets grilled to sweet and smoky goodness. Now he's hooked.

Forget about the same old salad and try something new instead from the Pacific Beach Tuesday Farmers’ Market. Stop by JR Organics for a bunch of fresh sorrel, a tangy, citrus-y, spicy leaf that might be an herb and might be a green, but is definitely delicious when tossed with roasted beets from Maciel Farm and a little goat cheese from Nicolau Farm. Dress it simply with a drizzle of delicate oil from The California Olive Oil Company and a squeeze of fresh lemon from John Gilruth. Try a beet and goat cheese salad recipe variation here. 

Purslane is a crisp, slightly tart succulent grown by Gilbert Quintos; try it tossed with radishes, cucumber and a drizzle of Bistro Citrus Balsamic from Bistro Blends. Suzie’s Farm arugula has a bright, peppery taste; make an a-list salad by adding apples from Smit Orchards, Asian pears from Gilbert Quintos, and almonds from Hopkins Ag. Toss together something fresh tonight!

BAKE A BATCH O' BRUSSELS!

San Diego doesn’t have much of a winter compared to some cities, but the nights are still cool this time of year and it’s a great time for roasting winter vegetables in the oven. FInd my favorite, Brussels sprouts, at Suncoast Farm at the Little Italy Mercato. Grab some sweet yellow onions from Schaner Farms. The sprouts are rumored to be loaded with healthy glucosinolates and other things I can’t pronounce, but I eat them because they taste good, and they taste even better with bacon from DaLe Ranch.  
Fry up a couple slices of bacon, barely trim the ends and then cut the sprouts in half, slice the onions, and toss sprouts and onions in a little  bacon fat before roasting them in the oven at about 300 degrees until they turn soft and begin to brown. Sliced shitake mushrooms from Kawano Farms' booth or candy stripe beets from Maciel Farms make great additions, just roast them together with the other vegetables.  Leave the oven door open to warm up the house while you enjoy the sprouts as a side dish, or maybe over some fresh pasta from Lisko Imports as an entree. If you don’t dine on swine, skip the bacon and use a little California olive oil from Marion’s Olive Oil.
 

Another way to warm up with sprouts is to add them to soups or stews; they add a great flavor and a little crunch to any potato soup.  Roasted sprouts are also a fantastic item for dipping in fondue, and Taste Cheese just got in some great Alpine cheeses if you’re considering that route. When the evening chill creeps into your house, don’t say brrr, say brrrussels sprouts!

ORANGE YOU GLAD?

Though they grow pretty much year round in San Diego, oranges light up the night at farm stalls at the North Park Farmers' Market during the winter months. Versatile, sweet, and terribly healthy, organic oranges should be at the top of your shopping (and cooking) list this season.

Paradise Valley Ranch, John Gilruth's Rainbow Ranchito and R&L Farms sell their locally grown Navel and Valencia oranges, as well as juicy, easy- to-peel tangerines, and tart and sweet limes and lemons.

Orange wedges with shaved fennel and boiled or grilled chunks of Chiogga beets from Suzie's Farm make a delightfully refreshing salad. Chill the beets, and toss with tender winter lettuce or vibrant leafy greens from Maciel Family Farms and an easy vinaigrette made with orange juice and California Olive oil and vinegar.

Saute onions, garlic and ginger together and then deglaze the pan with just-pressed orange juice from Paradise Valley Ranch. Reduce the liquid to glaze pork chops and roasts from Da Le Ranch, or start with the same combo and add crushed chilis from Valdivia Farms and stir fry a batch of Kawano Farm green beans with a taste of Thailand.

Cooking with oranges makes everyone feel like a fuzzy navel, doesn't it?

PACK IN THE PROTEIN

Ever wonder if the food you eat gives you enough of that prized possession, protein? You've got options folks! The North Park Farmers' Market has all of them stacked and ready to go so you can pack your meals with a protein punch.

If you're feeling carnivorous, try something new and grab a lean cut of rabbit from Da Le Ranch- high in protein and low in fat, this is a great addition to any slow cooked stew. If veggies are calling your name, make a fresh summer salad with lima beans and corn, topped with shaved broccoli stems from Maciel and Family. How about snacking on a handful of raw almonds from Hopkins AG to carry you through your day, or try adding fresh walnuts from Nicolau Farm to a pile of Suzie's fresh arugula and roasted beets. There's always your traditional on-the-go meal by smearing some cinnamon infused peanut butter from PB Peanut Butter all over a toasted slice of sunflower flaxseed multigrain baked by Belen Bread. Give your breakfast a boost and smother a good helping of Bitchin' Sauce's pesto over poached eggs and avocado slices from Paradise Valley Ranch or dip fresh carrots and cucumbers from Suzie's Farm in Majestic Garlic's rich, vegan curry hummus. However you do it, you're sure to feel good eating straight from the market! 

FROM RUSSIA, WITH SOUP

Invite your neighbors over, turn on some music, sit outside and settle down with a bowl of hearty, cold Russian beet soup. On a hot summer day, this soup is energizing and light. The red beets from Suzie's Farm, with their sweet flavor that is close to the earth, from which they emerged, make a dazzling duo with JR organics' cucumbers. In a mixing bowl, combine three cups of buttermilk, a peeled & quartered cucumber, 3-4 cooked beets (sliced, with juice), and two chopped green onions with a bit of white vinegar. Stir in a bit of fresh, chopped dill or mint and a dash of salt to taste. Let soup chill for a couple of hours, or overnight, and serve cold, replacing the traditional sour cream garnish with a dollop of fresh goat cheese from Nicolau Farms. A loaf of fresh rye or pumpernickel bread makes this dish a real Russian experience.

Did you notice those cucumbers that resembled tiny watermelons at Suzie’s Farm’s booth?  Mexican sour gherkin cucumbers, also known as the “mouse melon” is a newly re-discovered heirloom varietal that has a surprisingly sour taste.  Their sourness got us thinking about pickling and the Pacific Beach Tuesday Farmer’s Market has a plethora of picks for pickling.

According to Chinese medicine, one should consume pickles during the hottest summer months as a tonic for cooling the stomach and strengthening the kidneys.  But don’t stop at cucumbers, almost any vegetable or fruit can be pickled.  Why not consider pickling chard from JR Organics, squash from Kawano Farms, beets and let’s not forget the pickled peppers from Maciel Family Farm!

Here is a basic pickling recipe that will get you started: Start with approximately 4 pounds of any vegetables.  Combine 3 cup vinegar, preferably apple cider, but rice, white or red wine are fine too with 3 cup water, 1/4 cup non iodized sea salt!  Check out Salt Farm for more adventurous infused and flavored salts. Cover the vegetables with the vinegar, water and salt mixture, fill sterilized mason jars and refrigerate.  Some vegetables, such as chard and leeks will need to be boiled for 5-10 minutes, before jarring.

Not so much into the whole do-it-yourself thing, then stop by the Happy Pantry booth, where they have an amazing selection of pickled veggies and salads.  However you choose to get your pickling fix, we think pickling is a great way to save your summer vegetables for consumption when you long for the taste of summer!