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Roasted Beet & Walnut Puree
While the Holidays are supposed to be a time of merriment and cheer, if you’re stumped as to what to make and bring (or even buy and bring), stress or dis-tress might feel more familiar. May we help you alleviate that with a few ideas, right about now?
It’s not that uncommon for vegetables to be the biggest stumper for contributions to the Thanksgiving table, even though autumn is abundant with fabulous fresh vegetables and condiments to play with.
We'd love the joy and privilege of showing you where to shop for all of your Holiday grocery needs! Our Farmers Market/West 3rd Street, Old Pasadena, and East LA Latin Flavors tour merchants all have the goods, so please read on and think about it!
I love to roast butternut squash (found in splendid abundance at Farm Boy) with red onion and apples, cook the roasted pieces with some broth, then whip it up in the blender for a soft, creamy dish. Season to taste with salt and pepper and if you'd like, warm it through with some pure maple syrup and chipotle sauce to give it a delicious warm&sweet finish. It carries and reheats beautifully in a casserole dish.
One can’t go wrong with a medley of your favorite roasted, colorful vegetables because if any are left over, they might get to come home with you and they are so delicious the next day.
If I were your Chef, chunks of eggplant, multi-colored bell peppers, zucchini, red onion, fennel (anise), and crimini mushrooms would get tossed in extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I’d add chopped fresh herbs (only $1 for generous bags at Farm Fresh Produce) or dried Italian seasoning (or other exotic variety) with some salt and pepper then roast them all up in a preheated 400F oven until soft, about 25 minutes. The more colorful the variety, the more nutritious the lot ... not that some turkey gravy isn’t sublime to top them off!
Finally, beets ~ both the magenta and golden variety ~ might earn themselves some new positive press with this incredibly delicious spread that was actually divined in Spain. When Mario Batali, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Mark Bittman did a Spanish road trip for a fabulous PBS series, its companion cookbook featured this recipe.
It may be served as a side dish at room temperature and, it is equally popular as a dip or spread for fresh vegetables and/or warm or toasted pita. See if this yields the best of reviews as it graces your holiday table, in all of its gorgeous, colorful splendor!
And please stay tuned to this blog in the weeks to come ~ we'll have more to tempt your Holiday appetite again soon!
Until next time, I remain ~
Your Chef and Tour Maestra
Diane Scalia