The KCC Slow Food volunteers presented another food demonstration at the Farmer's Market. This week we created our own version of Dolma, a traditional stuffed grape leaves recipe. President Sean Congdon and member Saeed Samad please the crowd with their tasting creation. Mahalo to Ma'o Organic Farms for generously donating the beets. Thanks also to Big Wave Flavor Tomatoes for supplying the Surfing Goat Dairy goat cheese. Let us not forget about the USDA grant that helps to underwrite these demonstrations. You can find the recipe attached in the "comments" section below. Good Eating.
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Beets… SLOW…
A Journey in Reverse…
Sweet and jewel colored, crisp textured and earthy, the journey of the beet begins on your plate and travels backward to the farmers market, where, under the green tent of Ma‘o Organic Farms, the kids extol the virtues of fresh organic veggies and this sweet beet, recently pulled from the ground by one of the young stewards of sustainability, a green thumb stained red with its juice. Travel further back with this beet’s predecessor over the Pacific Ocean on to mainland soil where it has held a place on the tables of Russian immigrants as bowls of deep red borscht and a rich history since Napoleon’s time when sugar beets were developed to rival sugarcane. Continue back in time to the beginning of its journey across Europe to the islands of Greece, where the beet as we know it has been enjoyed first for its leaves, a relative of chard, and for its nutritious and beautiful root since before recorded history.
Pairing the well-traveled, sweet and earthy beet root with tangy, salty Goat Cheese is a quintessential combination that brings out the best flavors in both ingredients. The creaminess and full flavor of the Surfing Goat Dairy cream cheese is a clue to just how happy the goats are in their pastures on the leeward side of Maui’s Haleakala volcano.
The recipe we present here makes use of all parts of the beet. Wrapped in the style of a Mediterranean dolma, or stuffed vegetable dish, with the leaf of the beet taking the place of the grape leaf, filled with long grain rice, beet root, goat cheese and aromatic herbs, it is a delicious appetizer or side dish for a meal.
Beet and Goat Cheese Stuffed Beet Leaf:
A local twist on the Greek “Dolma”.
In this recipe the entire beet is utilized emphasizing the versatile aspects of this seasonal root vegetable. Local goat cheese is used to smooth out the earthy taste of the beet and add another element to the dish.
Makes 15 pieces
Step 1. Preparing the Beets
5 medium-small Beets
1. Take a paring knife and separate the beet from the stem.
2. Cut the small root from the beet
3. Cut the hard fibrous part of the stem from beet leaf.
4. Cut the Stem into 1/8th in strips.
Step 2- Cooking Rice
1 cup Basmati (or other long grain) rice
1 pinch saffron or ¼ tsp smoked paprika. (optional)
1. Prepare rice according to directions adding in saffron or paprika at the beginning of the cooking process.
2. Remove from heat, fluff with a fork and scoop into a container or bowl to cool.
Step 3- Roasting the Beets
¼ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup olive oil
2 Bay leaves
Salt and Pepper
1. Toss Beets in remaining ingredients
2. Roast in a tightly covered pan in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes.
3. Remove from oven and rest beets, covered until cool enough to handle.
4. Remove skin of beet by rubbing with a dry paper towel.
5. Chop or grate beets until they reach the same size as the rice.
Step 4- Preparing the stems and greens
Salted boiling water
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
Bowl of Ice and Water
1. Bring pot of salted water to a boil.
2. Add beet stems cooking for about 1 minute. Add in beet leaves and cook for 10 seconds more. Remove both stems and greens and dunk in ice water bath. Remove, shake off excess water and drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Refrigerate.
Step 5- Preparing the filling
Chopped Beets
Equal volume of cooked Basmati rice to beets
Equal volume of goat cheese to taste
Minced fresh Rosemary to taste
Lemon Zest to taste
Enough olive oil to moisten and hold together
Honey to taste
Salt and pepper to Taste
1. Add all ingredients except olive oil to a medium sized bowl.
2. Mix together until well combined and cohesive.
3. Combine olive oil with mixture
Step 6- Stuffing the Beet Greens
Blanched Beet Greens
Filling (beet/goat cheese/rice)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1. Add a small amount of filing to base of beet green
2. Fold in edges and role
3. Tie the cooked stem around the beet roll
4. Place on a platter and drizzle with olive oil on a serving platter.
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