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Toasted Sesame Oil & Balsamic Make Beets Luscious

26 October 2008 by Jean Johnson

As usual, it’s what you put on your foundation that makes or breaks a meal. Buried under all the Gorgonzola and toasted walnuts are nothing more than beets and Swiss chard. Here’s how it all worked.

My first catering job appeared last week, so I turned to the Red and Yellow Beets with Blue Cheese on p. 116 of Cooking Beyond Measure. A very nice recipe if I do say so myself, but not one that worked for me at the moment. No yellow beets. No time for roasting. Still, the idea compelled, so I went with the flow.

Boiled some red beets. Slipped their jackets off and cut them into bite-sized chunks. Flash cooked the chard leaves (stems severed and reserved for another day). Tossed the vegetables with garbanzos and dressed the works in toasted sesame oil and a tangy, autumny balsamic vinegar. Salt, pepper, and a dab of Poupon mustard was all it took to make this warm composed salad so very sumptuous. (The gingerbread from Laurel’s Kitchen and cottage cream from my book didn’t hurt the cause either.)

Then there was the summer savory growing outside the backdoor that worked so beautifully as a garnish–and allowed the cook to positively drink in the aroma of an herb freshly picked. Whoever said cooking was akin to slaving over a hot stove? Perhaps when you’re doing nothing more than following rote directions from a formal recipe book, but not when you’re so nicely engaged in the art.

Like German Ruiz, minister of tourism in Puebla, Mexico said, “you could write cooking instructions down, but in the end it’s the way you do it. No?” (Beyond Measure, p.11)

By the way, how’s everyone holding up in this economy? I know it’s taking a toll in my office.  Between the marketing work for Beyond Measure and working on Hippie Kitchen–where it appears Celeste and HH will be getting better acquainted–we’re scrambling. So moving forward, expect the blog and newsletter to come every other week. That’s probably enough to keep our growing community together–At least I hope so, as it seems that increasingly people are getting the hang of the message. People like Laura Marble, in Tucson who wrote:

“Once in a great while, somebody comes up with a question so perfect that it brings a whole corner of your life into sharp relief and fills you with clarity.

Last week, Jean Johnson asked me such a question.

“How did cooking turn into a rote exercise in following directions?” the Oregon-based food writer inquired as we talked on the phone. In an instant, my decade-long bout of boredom with kitchen duty became completely understandable….That’s a good thing for my waistline and pocketbook.”

Paste this url into your browser for the rest of Marble’s incisive article: http://www.explorernews.com/articles/2008/10/01/el_sol/doc48e2bb73ea1a0427439654.txt

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