we got the beets

80's girl band anyone?

last year i made tasty pickled beets but they were nothing like these.

because this time i used pickling spice.

homemade pickling spice
(modified from ball's recipe)

makes about 1/2 cup

1 cinnamon stick broken into pieces
5 bay leaves, crushed
2 T mustard seeds
1 T coriander seeds
1 T whole black peppercorns
1 T dill seeds
1-2 tsp hot pepper flakes
1 tsp whole cloves
pinch cardamom
1/2 tsp grated ginger root

mix and store in an airtight container.

my chioggia beets were pickled following this recipe. since i had such a small amount, i didn't bother to can -  just stored them in the fridge. the jar was made for my beet-loving mother, but i can't seem to keep my fingers out of it. sorry mom! the next batch will be better - i'll even take the skins off!=)

tops and bottoms

the thing i love most about garden beets is you can eat the tops and the bottoms. both are equally delicious and nutritious, and beets are very easy to grow. 

 

i pickled four detriot red beets in one cup of rice vinegar with a pinch of salt, a squirt of agave and a bay leaf. my beets and carrots were planted about 2-3 weeks apart to separate the harvests. four beets and about 16 carrots were planted per square foot.

though we added a 6'x6' and another 4'x4'/2'x2 box, i still felt limited on planting space. the universe heard my wishes and gave us some more soil... at a community garden that just started 3 blocks from our home!

tomorrow we're planting lots of goodies, including watermelon and butternut squash! i'm so excited to share and connect with other gardeners in the neighborhood. we've met the woman in charge, mickey, and a young boy helping with the wood chips - both were super sweet and friendly. yay!=) expect lots more on the community garden!

there's our two rows, measuring 3'x18'. plants were donated to the garden and we scooped up four 'mortgage lifter' tomatoes (ha!) and eight sweetie cherry tomatoes.

so we'll be planting this memorial day weekend and tending to our garden babies =). we'll also meet my sister's new baby puggle, and hopefully get a chance to chit chat with christina pirello, the chef who kick-started my passion for animal-friendly food. she'll be speaking at the american vegan society's 50th anniversary garden party on sunday.

(christina pirello is a local chef (from philadelphia) who hosts an amazing whole foods/plant-based cooking show called Christina Cooks. have you seen it? her show is one of the few i miss since we broke our tv. i told john i think i may feel a little star-struck meeting her in person - we love her!=)

what have you got planned for this weekend? whatever you do, have fun and be safe!

xoxo

"beet" this burger

*the stars of the show*

hope to grow ones like this beautiful bunch someday!

when the idea to make my own veggie burger first struck, i searched online for weeks and painstakingly poured through hundreds of different recipes. (ok, i exaggerate just a little). but really, i did come across A LOT of 'em, and i had no idea which one to choose. then this recipe caught my eye, for two reasons - 1) it was a grand prize winner in a contest, and 2) the grated raw beet and almonds in the recipe intrigued me.

i love almonds and all things crunchy; i also imagined the beets would give the burgers a pleasing color - and i was right. (and when you're cooking to interest meat-eaters, you're very concerned with color and texture resembling the meat version, as i'm sure many herbivores already know!)

with a side of sauteed beet greens (yes, you can eat the tops, and they're scrumptious - like spinach!)

grilled

the winning recipe was developed by a Mayan woman named Olinda Cho-Forsythe. she developed her burger recipe in the kitchens of the Gran Fraternidad Universal, an organization dedicated to world peace and to promoting a vegetarian diet through centers and restaurants throughout Latin America. a very big thank you to Olinda! =)

"Beet" this Burger
makes 4-5 patties

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp grated raw beet
1/2 C. cooked quick rolled oats*
1 C. uncooked oats
1/2 C. coarsely ground walnuts
1/4 C. coarsely ground almonds
1/4 C. mashed chick peas (optional)
2 Tbsp sesame seeds
1 Tbsp veg broth or water
1/4 C. green pepper, minced (optional)
1/4 C. celery (or fennel)
1/4 C. onion, minced
1 tsp basil (dried or fresh)
1/4 tsp sage
1/4 tsp mustard powder, or mustard (spicy brown or dijon)
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp nutritional yeast flakes (optional)

* Bring 1/2 C water to a boil in small saucepan. Add 1/4 C oats and a dash of salt. Return to boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and cook 7 minutes.

Directions~
Get the oaks cooking while you chop the veggies. Throw everything into a big bowl and mix well. Form into patties. Heat olive oil in skillet over medium high. Cook patties until golden on each side.

i like to top these burgers with veggie burger or bbq sauce, avocado, tomato, and something crunchy, like onions, lettuce, or even sliced fennel. it's your burger...put whatever you want on it! =)

Veggie Burger Sauce

1 tbsp mustard
2 green onions
1 tsp wasabi
1 tsp soy sauce
juice from 1 lemon
few dashes hot sauce
2 tbsp olive oil

blend until smooth. use with ketchup, onions, pickle, and a sesame seed bun to get that fast food flavor, minus the cruelty and grease.