Oh no, another food blog! Why?????
Well, the reason that we need another food blog is because there are so many food blogs. Really, do a quick search and you'll find thousands giving you the secret of how to cook everything from rock shrimp to long pig. Just because you think that a mix of strawberry jam, choco syrup and fluffenutter spread on a hoagie roll and toasted is fine dining doesn't mean that you have a clue about how to take fresh ingredients and use solid technique to make something satisfying. The problem, bless those food blogger's little hearts, is that while most folks know how to eat, very few know a thing about how to cook, to dine, to really experience food.
The Fun Fresh Food Blog is written by Lou Farrell. I completed a French cooking apprenticeship in the 1980's and worked in about every kind of restaurant until I got tired of that grind, went back to college and taught high school History and Economics for a few years. I'm uniquely qualified to teach cooking. More on me later.
This blog will teach you how to get the most out of fresh seasonal ingredients. However, you will have to do a bit of work. I will not recommend too many shortcuts, especially those that compromise taste and quality. That said, this is intended to be fun. Use the prep time in the kitchen as entertainment, a special time set aside for you and those people you care for to drink some wine, chop some vegetables and develop an appreciation for the food you'll be eating and the people you'll share it with. I want your comments. Let me know what you are thinking and what I should write about next.
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Fresh beets are in the market and at most farm stands.
Let me be very clear about this, NEVER BOIL BEETS! Got that?
Once again, NEVER BOIL BEETS unless you want to make water that is deep
red and tastes better that the beets that you pull out of it. If, on the other hand, you slowly roast the beets,
you get a vegetable that pops with concentrated flavor. Add a tablespoon of toasted walnuts or
almonds and maybe some fresh goat cheese to dress up this one.
Roasted Beet Salad
1 pound medium red beets
2 tbs. salad oil
salt and pepper
one cup mustard vinaigrette dressing (recipe follows)
Preheat the oven to 325°.
Wash the beets and trim the ends.
Put them in a shallow roasting pad and drizzle the oil over the beets,
season with the salt and pepper. Roll
the beets around the pan, so that they are completely coated with the oil and
seasonings. Roast uncovered for one
hour.
After roasting, the beets will be cooked through and
slightly shriveled. Allow then to
cool. Peel the beets and slice them
thinly into rounds. In a mixing bowl,
dress the beets with the vinaigrette.
(recipe follows) Allow them to
marinate at room temperature, covered for one hour before serving. This can be prepared a day ahead of
time. When it is time to serve the
beets, you may want to sprinkle toasted walnuts or almonds on the salad. A couple of tablespoons of goat cheese will
also go well with the roasted beets.
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Mustard Vinaigrette is one of those sauces that you will
want to have hanging around your fridge, so that you can quickly toss together
a salad without too much trouble. Store
it in a jar with a tight lid. You’ll
need to shake to up to recombine the ingredients before each use. Don’t be scared to add seasonal herbs if the
mood should hit you. In summer, fresh
basil or mint is the route. Wintertime,
go with thyme or rosemary.
Mustard Vinaigrette
1 cup Dijon mustard
1 cup red wine vinegar
2 cups extra virgin olive oil
1 tbs. Kosher salt
½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
In a large mixing bowl, combine the mustard, red wine
vinegar, salt and pepper. Slowly whisk
in the olive oil, forming a sauce that appears creamy and does not
separate. Store in the
refrigerator.
