Roasted Beet Salad with Beet Greens and Feta (and possibly a little kale)

Part of being on a budget means cooking at home, so I have decided to post some of the recipes I try for better or worse. I'm not an incredible chef but since Noelle can't cook worth a damn, I figured I would have to be in charge of this. So let this be my first attempt to bring you a simple, delicious dish.

There were a few beets included in my CSA haul today so I decided to make Bon Apetits Roasted Beet Salad with Beet Greens and Feta. Because there weren't a lot of green attached to my beets I added in some kale (also in the box). A friend of mine made this for me about a month ago with fresh beets from her garden and I fell in love for the first time with beets, something I had not really been a fan of before. So without further ado, here is the original recipe that I halved and added kale to, and also left out the capers- but I will leave it up to you.

• 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic

• 7 medium-large beets (about 3 inches in diameter) with greens
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons chopped drained capers

• 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (about 3 ounces)

preparation

Preheat oven to 375°F. Whisk oil, vinegar and garlic in small bowl to blend. Season dressing generously with salt and pepper.

Cut green tops off beets; reserve tops. Arrange beets in single layer in 13x9x2-inch baking dish; add 1 cup water. Cover; bake until beets are tender when pierced with knife, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Peel beets while warm. Cut beets in half and slice thinly. Transfer to large bowl. Mix in capers and 1/4 cup dressing. Season with salt and pepper.

Cut stems off beet greens; discard stems. Wash greens. Transfer greens, with some water still clinging to leaves, to large pot. Stir over high heat until just wilted but still bright green, about 4 minutes. Drain greens; squeeze out excess moisture. Cool; chop coarsely.

Transfer greens to medium bowl. Toss with enough dressing to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Arrange beets in center of platter. Surround with greens; sprinkle with feta. Drizzle with any remaining dressing

South Central Farmers Co-op. Holy crap!!

About a week ago I decided to do some research into local farmer co-ops.  Google came back to me with a few options, the first of those being the South Central Farmer Cooperative.  For a minimum donation of 15 dollars a week, you will be able to pick up an enormous box of vegetables from one of many farmers market locations in the los angeles area.  I chose the Hollywood Farmers Market, located off of Vine and Sunset.  

So I woke up today, feeling like it was Christmas morning , and rushed to the market to pick up my first box.  And after struggling the two block back with the enormously heavy mystery box (might want to take this in consideration when you are picking up), I was headed home to discover the contents. (I didn't let myself peek until I carried the box into my kitchen).  

Words cannot describe.........

Beets, 4 different types of squash, butter lettuce, kale, carrots, green onions, tomatoes, potatoes, green beans, a cucumber, and okra. (I am almost certainly leaving something out).

So now I think I am going to spend the rest of the day cooking!  I will post some recipes shortly....

-nora