Eat, Drink, and Go!

I truly love this concept. I realize it’s not novel and it has been a mainstream culinary mainstay for several years now, but something about picking your own veggies or knowing they were just picked prior to eating just tickles me pink. Or purple in this case!! I got to pick my own beets the other day from a huge farm in Maryland- Larriland Farms. 

We picked our own beets and broccoli, and of course the obligatory October staple of a huge pumpkin, but there was also other harvesting like spinach, chard, and apples, apples, apples!  Selections are seasonal and I will definitely go back when it’s berries and peaches for the pickings!  

I’m focusing here on the beets. They are so incredibly good for you being a good source of vitamins, especially iron, and antioxidants. They even have cancer fighting benefits. Plus they’re purple!! Just be careful if you eat too many because other things can turn reddish-purple (only temporarily). I find the best way to prepare raw beets is to boil them (you can roast them too, but from raw, it takes a long time). I SHOULD have saved the boil water to add to a smoothie but I thought of that at the precise moment I was straining the last few drops. Next time!  Let them cool a little and then they are very easy to peel. 

I usually put them in my lunch salad, but since the hubs loves them, I’ll also add them into a dinner dish. They’re quite versatile. Delicious salad idea – beets and goat cheese with some mandarin oranges on any kind of greens. The sweet beets and tangy cheese a is fabulous combo. This time I just sliced them on top of the roasted cauliflower with a delicious pork loin chop for dinner. I rubbed the pork with mole seasoning prior to searing, enhanced with a bit more cinnamon, which paired splendidly with a beautiful Clos Du Val 2012 Estate Merlot. 

Beets don’t need any added flavors, they are so naturally sweet and unique. Even the kids liked them!!  And I loved eating what I had picked fresh!