I have no idea where January went. It seems like I was just putting up the Christmas decorations.  Now, I’m hanging the Valentine’s Day wreath on the door. Time is just moving too fast.

To be honest, I almost skipped this posting. There was just nothing new in the kitchen. Then I thought about it and decided I could cobble something together. (I hate to miss IMK!)

I’m getting better and better about using items in our bi-monthly farm bag delivery.  The recipes that they create and share to utilize the produce can be a little sketchy and verbose but I can usually morph them into something we like.  Case in point with this salad.  

Roasted Beet Quinoa Salad with Ginger-Blood Orange Vinaigrette

By Debra (based on recipe found here.)

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb. beets
• 2 c. quinoa
• 2 T. Champagne vinegar
• 1 t. Dijon
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/4 t. pepper
• 1 Blood Orange – juiced + zested
• 1 T. fresh ginger, chopped
• 1-2 t. honey
• 1/4 c. olive oil
• 4 oz. feta
• Optional:  pomegranate arils, nuts, sprouts

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400. Remove the beet greens (and reserve if they look crisp and good) and coat each beet with olive oil. Place the coated beets onto a sheet of foil and sprinkle with salt. Wrap up the beets in a foil packet and pop into the oven for 30 minutes. Check to see if they are fork tender. If not, wrap them back up and roast them for 10 minutes longer or until fork tender. Set aside to cool. Once cool, easily remove the skins with your fingers and chop into bite-size pieces.
2. While beets roast, cook quinoa according to directions.
3. Next, make vinaigrette. Place vinegar, Dijon, salt and pepper, orange juice, ginger, and honey in a blender. Blend until mixed. While blender is running, drizzle in olive oil. Set aside.
4. If your beet greens looked good, rinse well and chop.  Set aside.
5. When quinoa is done and while it’s still hot, toss it with the vinaigrette.  Let it cool a bit to room temperature.  Then, toss in the beets, beet greens, and feta.
6. If you have optional toppings, add them and serve.

 

You can top this salad with pomegranate arils, roasted pecans, sprouts, whatever you like.  Or, it’s just good on it’s own.  I had a lot of sprouts to use, so that was my topping.

Another tip: I always toss my vinaigrette into the quinoa while it is still warm.  I think it absorbs the flavors more. This salad makes a lot and can easily be halved.  In fact, it would work well with only 1 cup of quinoa. I honestly got tired of eating this for lunches.

We started wine making again and while we were at the supply store, I found that they are finally carrying vinegar mother and scoby (for kombucha). I had asked about these YEARS ago. I was glad to see they were carrying the scoby so I bought some and am also making kombucha again (after a long hiatus).

Back the the wine making:

This is over six gallons of merlot in the “degassing” stage. It should be ready in another 30 days or so.

I started binging on Julia (the Max series) and am loving it. It’s humorous that David Hyde Pierce and Bebe Neuwirth are on the same series again.  When I made my last book pick up at the library, this was seriously calling my name. 

I’ve got another week before it’s due back at the library. So far, I haven’t cracked it open. 🙁

I was going in to pick up this book, Iwígara: The Kinship of Plants and Flowers by Enrique Salmón.

I had recently found it at a bookstore and wanted to peruse it before I bought it.  You can read my review here.  Know that this is not a home-remedy book. While the author lists a description, a few photos, uses, harvesting tips, and health benefits, it is more informational than comprehensive. It’s a good starter book or a nice coffee table type book. I totally understand why Salmón would not publish a how-to book—too much liability.

It was good I checked it out of the library first!

One more book blurb—I recently received this book in the mail:  Round Here and Over Yonder.

I’m assuming I won it (perhaps from a Goodreads giveaway)????  I love that it is “A Front-Porch Travel Guide by Two Progressive Hillbillies (Yes, That’s a Thing).” Since the authors include “What to eat, drink, and where” I will probably do a foodie post about it at some point. (My TBR stack is about to topple over.)

Valentine’s Day is coming fast. I found these cute little “seed-pops” to send to the nieces. 

Aren’t they cute? These technically won’t be in my kitchen, but I hope the nieces can use the herbs in their cooking this summer.

For my curveball this month:

Second year in a row for winning the UFC trophy (Useful, Funny, Cool)!!!!!!