There are persons who constantly clamor. They complain of oppression, speculation, and pernicious influence of wealth. They cry out loudly against all banks and corporations, and a means by which small capitalists become united in order to produce important and beneficial results. They carry on mad hostility against all established institutions. They would choke the fountain of industry and dry all streams. — Daniel Webster
Roasted beets with herbs and feta cheese make a wonderful vegetable side dish for many meals. Try the recipe sometime when you encounter fresh beets at the market.
This is a very elegant, and elegantly simple to craft, warm vegetable side dish to serve. The combination of herbs, beets, and feta cheese make a rich and complex palate of flavors.
Ingredients
6 beets (approx 1.5 lb)
1½ tsp chopped fresh thyme
1½ tsp chopped fresh chives
3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 oz feta cheese, crumbled
Ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a small bowl mix together the thyme, chives, and olive oil, reserve
Peel beets under running water and wrap them individually in foil
Roast beets in oven until tender when pierced with a fork, approx. 1 hour
Remove beets from oven, unwrap, and quarter them
Place beets in serving bowl and drizzle them with herb and oil mixture
Add crumbled feta cheese and pepper
Notes
Beets come in a variety of colors, all of which have very similar flavors. Try mixing different colors for a more interesting presentation.
The beets can be roasted the night before and stored (in separate containers by color) if desired and reheated before adding herbed oil and feta cheese.
1.2.4
I particularly like this served with roasted lamb or medallions of beef tenderloin, but it pairs wonderfully with a variety of main dishes.
Few things are more delicious and decadent for breakfast or brunch than the combination of crab and eggs.
While I’ve called this recipe for a crab and corn fritatta a Powhatan Fritatta in homage to the ancient Native American tribe of the Chesapeake Bay region, they would not have had a dish similar to this. It does, however, showcase some of their favorite ingredients: crab and corn.
Powhatan Fritatta is rich and decadent, with a nice mix of sweetness from the crab and corn and piquancy from the Old Bay Seasoning - definitely the makings of a luscious weekend breakfast or brunch.
Ingredients
1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon butter
8 oz crab meat
½ cup corn kernels
4 eggs
¼ cup heavy cream
¼ cup milk
½ cup shredded mild, white cheese (Monterey Jack, Havarti, Queso Fresco, or Fontina)
In a bowl whisk together the 4 eggs, 2 eggs, milk, and cream. Stir in the cheese, ¼ teaspoon of Old Bay Seasoning, and crab mixture.
Pour all into a lightly greased pie pan. Top with remaining ¼ teaspoon of Old Bay Seasoning and freshly ground pepper and salt to taste.
Bake until a knife inserted into the center of the frittata comes out clean, approximately 30 minutes.
Notes
Blue crab is the most "traditional" crab to use in this recipe but dungeness, king, or snow crab will work equally well. Use what you have available.
You need the equivalent of 4 large eggs for this dish, but can easily replace any number of them with the appropriate amount of egg whites.
You need ½ cup of dairy for this dish, but can adjust the fat content and richness of the dish by adjusting the proportions of milk and heavy cream. It can even be made with solely a ½ cup of skim milk.
For an interesting variation replace the normal corn kernels with roasted whole kernel corn. It will lend a pleasant smokiness to the dish. For this I use Trader Joe's Roasted Corn rather than roasting my own.
1.2.4
Minchin quier! Wingutsee tuttascuc.
(Eat! The crab is good.)
Reflections From A Murky Pond by jonolan is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License
