RECIPE: Beet Soup with Potatoes and Beet Greens

When I received a farm box including beets, I wanted to find a recipe that would allow me to use not only the popular purple superstar but also the lesser-known leafy sidekick. I've always composted the greens (or, when possible, fed them to my awesome guinea pigs), but I know that they're rockstars nutritionally and are supposedly tasty. They're more tough than most greens that I'm familiar with, so I have to admit that I was a bit intimidated.

When I found Cooking Light's soup recipe, it seemed like a winner. I'm scarfing down my second bowl right now, and I'm impressed. I made a few modifications, but as always, customize away! I served it with lightly toasted sourdough and creamy goat cheese.

Beet Soup with Potatoes and Beet Greens
Serves 6 (or, in my case, 3 servings for one really hungry girl)

Ingredients 
1 T. olive oil 
1 c. chopped onion 
1 c. diagonally sliced carrot 
1 1/2 c. finely chopped peeled beets
1 1/2 c. finely chopped red or purple potatoes 
1 1/2 c. water 
2 T. tomato paste (Didn't have any, so I pureed one tomato in my food processor) 
1/8 t. black pepper (I hate black pepper, so I omitted it) 
21 oz. vegetable broth (the recipe calls for beef broth, which would give a heartier taste) 
1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained (I only had the kind with green chiles, which I liked) 
4 c. coarsely chopped beet greens
1 T. brown sugar

Directions
1. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté 5 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently.
2. Stir in beets and next 6 ingredients (beets through tomatoes). Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 35 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
3. Stir in beet greens and sugar; cook 5 minutes.

Slow-cooker directions
Complete Step 1 in a small frying pan. Transfer to slow-cooker, add all ingredients except sugar and greens, and cook on low 5-6 hours. Stir in greens and sugar, cover, and allow to cook until greens are tender (about 15 minutes).

Nutrition Information (per 1 1/3 c. serving): Calories: 135, Fat: 1g, Carbs: 22g, Fiber: 2.8, Protein: 6g

Zombie Blog

Question: how long must a blogger be away from his or her blog before said blog becomes officially dead? One month? One year? Well, in my case, I'll take my three-month hiatus and call it a temporary death of my blog. Work, play, and the increasingly beautiful San Francisco weather drew me away from my blog, and its youth was not enough to sustain it. Now that I've returned, I'm going to classify my blog as coming back to life, which would make a zombie. Sure, I know that zombies are all hip and stuff now, but I was totally into them before they became popular. Anyway.

My husband and I recently joined Eatwell Farms, a Bay Area-based CSA, or community-supported agriculture. Every week, we receive a box from the Sacramento farm containing a variety of fruit, vegetables, eggs from happy chickens, and the occasional bunch of lavender. For less than the price of a Safeway produce run, we get to experience fresh, organic produce from only a few miles away. For anyone who knows me and my affection for animals that can border on the absurd, it's important to me to only eat eggs that come from "happy" chickens. If I were a chicken, I wouldn't be happy being cooped up (pun actually not intended) in a sad little wire cage, cannibalisticly eating the remnants of my other fellow chickens (it's true, look it up).

The Eatwell chickens get to hang out and enjoy the beautiful sunshine, breeze, and fresh water as they commune with their brothers and sisters. Basically, they get to enjoy a 24/7 free-range chicken party. Knowing this makes me feel pretty darn good about buying their eggs and therefore fighting for the chicken's right to party. But I digress.

Each week, I'm going to find and post a recipe that I've never tried before that incorporates some of the produce that we receive. Some of the items I'm pretty familiar with (squash, strawberries), some I'm familiar with but haven't cooked with much before (beets, basil), and some I've never eaten or didn't even know you could cook (lavender, turnips). I'll stretch my culinary knowledge and share any triumphs (or failures) in the process.

So, I hope you enjoy this resurrection.