Easter Lunch

Here is our Easter Menu:

Ham
Carrot and Beet Salad
Green Beans
Bunny Pasta Salad
Biscotti
Fruit and Jello Parfaits


Carrot and Beet Salad

carrots and beets from the csa box

Comments: We threw stuff in as we had them, not paying much attention to the measurements. Still turned out great. My mom made the pasta salad, which was yummy, but I don't have a recipe for it. We had the light flesh beets, which are a bit sweeter and less "beety".

Verdict: ****

Ingredients:
3 cups grated carrots
3 cups grated, uncooked beetroots
2 tsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp cider vinegar
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp dijon mustard
Tabasco sauce to taste
Sea Salt
Fresh Ground Pepper

Serves approximately 6

Directions:
Trim, peel, and grate the carrots and beets. Place the rest of the main ingredients, from garlic to black pepper, in a large salad bowl, add the grated carrots and beets, and toss until well combined.

Taste, adjust the seasoning, and let stand for 30 minutes, if you can, before serving: the beets and carrots will render juices that will make the salad moister. You can add lemon juice to it at the end to make it more moist. :)


Easter Biscotti

Oranges from the csa box

Comments: My mom has been making this biscotti recipe for years. I think she said she got it from a Sunset Magazine, or Better Homes and Gardens, or something like that. Here is the recipe to the best of my knowledge. I recommend not using whole wheat flour and it is really dense and hard to eat.

Verdict: ****

Ingredients:
3 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter (melted)
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp grated orange peel
3 cups flour (or a bit less)
2 tsp baking powder
cinnamon
raisins

Directions:
Beat 2 eggs and 1 yolk. Reserve egg white for end. Beat in butter and add vanilla and orange peel. Slowly add in flour and baking powder. Add cinnamon and raisins as desired. Shape dough into a bunny, duck or egg shape on a greased cookie sheet. Add additional raisins, shape dough accents, or 'draw' with a fork/knife to decorate your shaped dough. Brush finished product with reserved egg white. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Break off pieces to enjoy with coffee, milk, or tea.

Frittata and Beet Roesti

Various greens (mustard and broccoli liscia), beets, rosemary from csa box

Frittata comments: would definitely use onions (I HAD green and red onions, and yet, somehow forgot to use them). Also, I would add less salt that I did (which I, of course, did not measure so how will I know???). I could probably have added more greens and will next time. Again, didn't measure... silly me.

Beet comments: I would not say beets are my favorite food, I would never choose them. But, as they come frequently in our csa box, I am always on a search for new ways to eat them. As it was valentine's day, what a great opportunity for something red for dinner. SOOOO... beet pancakes. They were pretty darn good, for beets. I did use 4 small yellow beets and 1 medium red beet. This may have made it slightly more sweet, which was probably good. I really enjoyed eating a bite of beets roesti with a bite of the over-salted frittata... the sweetness counteracted the salty. Perfect.

Verdict: Frittata - ***** Beets: ** (children were bribed with chocolate to finish their beets, and they did, too)



Both recipes from NPR. The recipes below include my changes for "next time".

Frittata
Makes 4 servings
Time: About 30 minutes

• 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
• 1/2 cup diced onions
• 6 eggs
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Broccoli greens, mustard greens, kale, chard, etc.

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Place the butter or oil in a medium-to-large ovenproof skillet, preferably non-stick, and turn the heat to medium. Add onions and saute until just soft. While it's heating, beat together the eggs, cheese, salt, and pepper. Add greens to mixture. When the butter melts, pour the egg mixture into the skillet and turn the heat to medium-low. Cook, undisturbed, for about 10 minutes, or until the bottom of the frittata is firm.
3. Transfer the skillet to the oven. Bake, checking every 5 minutes or so, just until the top of the frittata is no longer runny, 10 to 20 minutes more. (To speed things up, turn on the broiler, but be very careful not to overcook.) Serve hot or at room temperature.

Beet Roesti with Rosemary
Makes 4 servings
Time: 20 minutes

• 1 to 1 1/2 pounds beets
• 1 teaspoon coarsely chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 tablespoons butter

1. Trim the beets and peel them as you would potatoes; grate them in a food processor or by hand. Begin preheating a medium to large non-stick skillet over medium heat.
2. Toss the grated beets in a bowl with the rosemary and salt, then add about half the flour; toss well, add the rest of the flour, then toss again.
3. Place the butter in the skillet and heat until it begins to turn nut-brown. Scrape the beet mixture into the skillet, shape it into a nice circle, and press it down with a spatula. Turn the heat to medium-high and cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until the bottom of the beet cake is nicely crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Slide the cake out onto a plate, top with another plate, invert the two plates, and slide the cake back into the pan. Continue to cook, adjusting the heat if necessary, until the second side is browned. Cut into wedges and serve immediately.