Simply Fresh by Julie Wern

Below are a few of my favorite recipes for some of the items in this week’s distribution.

Enjoy the last few days of summer vacation!

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This week is the first week for golden beets. The recipe below is equally delicious using golden or red beets. I especially love how light the dressing is, as it uses orange juice thickened with cornstarch instead of oil. I recommend using organic, non-GMO cornstarch if you have it. If not, you can use arrowroot.

The dressing recipe is adapted from the MayoClinic.com.

Lighter Orange Basil Vinaigrette                                     makes just over a cup

INGREDIENTS:

– 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

– 1 scant tablespoon organic, non-GMO cornstarch

– 3 tablespoons champagne or white wine vinegar

– 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

– 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil

– 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

METHOD:

1. In a small saucepan, whisk orange juice and cornstarch until smooth. With heat on medium, bring mixture up to a boil stirring constantly. Boil for 1 minute or until bubbles and foam have disappeared and mixture has thickened. Remove from heat and place in a jar or dressing container. Refrigerate until cold.

2. Mix vinegar, Dijon, basil and olive oil into cold orange juice mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Chill until ready to serve. You may need to add some water or more orange juice to reach desired consistency

 

Beet, Goat Cheese, and Walnut Salad                                          Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

– 1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

– 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup

– 4 cups salad greens of choice

– 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced

– 3-4 roasted beets, sliced

– 3 ounces goat cheese

– 1/2 cup lighter orange basil vinaigrette, or to taste

METHOD:

1. Preheat oven to 300. Line a baking sheet with foil. In a small bowl mix walnuts with maple syrup. Spread walnuts pieces evenly on baking sheet in single layer. Bake, stirring frequently, until toasted and dry, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

2. Place greens on large plate. Sprinkle with red onion slices, Top decoratively with beets, then goat cheese and walnuts. Just before serving, drizzle dressing over salad and serve.

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71IcG+PYs-L._SL1500_If you haven’t yet experienced the joy of a spiralizer, you have to check them out. They are gadgets that cut large vegetables such as zucchini, summer squash, or big potatoes into long, thin spirals that many liken to pasta. They are a favorite of those on raw food diets. True, the “pastas” are delicious raw, but they can also be quickly cooked if so desired. I really encourage everyone to try these fun gadgets that can stimulate variety and interest into the doldrums of summer.

I own two different kinds of spiralizers, a large free standing plastic unit that can handle many different vegetables but that takes up a significant amount of space (click here) and a hand-held spiralizer that is great for a quick job or for spriralized veggies for one person (click here) I bought the stand-alone spiralizer online, but purchased the hand-held cutter at Sur La Table in Canton.

I love to serve the following cherry tomato sauce over a fresh bowl of raw spiralized zucchini. I serve the sauce hot on the cold zucchini and top it all with some grated Parmesan cheese….YUM!!!

 Blistered Cherry Tomato Sauce

INGREDIENTS:

– 2 pounds mixed cherry tomatoes

– 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

– 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

– sea salt and pepper

– 2 tablespoons minced basil

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 450. Brush a baking sheet with some olive oil. Toss tomatoes and garlic with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Spread evenly on prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle generously with sea salt and pepper. Bake, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes, or until most tomatoes have blistered and popped open and there is plenty of juice accumulated in the pan. Transfer tomatoes and juice to a medium bowl. Mix in basil.

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