Three fresh Vegetables DIshes: Horta, Beets and Zucchini Ribbons

Three fresh Vegetable Dishes : Beets, Horta and  Sautéed Zucchini



Vegetable Medley...YUM!

 After a trip to the Whole Foods market my refrigerator is bursting with fresh vegetables and fruit.

The beets were so gorgeous I had to scoop up a big bunch.  I made a Greek dish called Horta (HOR-tah vrah-STAH) from its leaves. It is not the normal group of wild greens used by the Greeks, but it is the closest in taste I have found to make this delicate salad. Simple as it sounds, it is rich in vitamins and taste.  Of course its fruit, the Beet, it just wonderful boiled and dressed in a light vinaigrette. Just as spinach, these greens will reduce to a fraction of what was placed in the pan.  It is hard to find just the greens sold alone and therefore, unless you want to cook allot of beets, you will make just a bit of this healthy salad.  (All in relation to the beets you purchase).It is worth not wasting the tops of the beets!

Big bow of leaves

Reduces to so very much.

    

Boiled Beets 

3 large Beets with greens attached

2 tablespoons Olive oil

Juice of 1 lemon

Salt and pepper



Remove leaves from the beets

Wash  the outside of the beets to remove excess dirt.  Place in boiling water to over and boil about 5-8 minutes until a knife stuck into them shows they are tender. (will depend on actual size of the beet)

Drain and let cool.  Remove skin and wash hands well as the beets will stain them easily. Slice and arrange on a plate or if placing all together, on a platter.

HORTA

Horta  

Leaves of above beets with the large stems removed

Boil leaves about 3 minutes and drain. Place in a boil.

Mix oil and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.  Whisk together and drizzle on the beets and on the Horta leaves.



Ribbons of Zucchini

 Fresh Zucchini Strips Lightly Sautéed

1 Zucchini per two servings

1 pat butter

1/8 teaspoon Fresh Dill chopped

Salt and pepper

Use a Mandolin (a cooking utensil used for slicing and for cutting juliennes) or a vegetable peeler to slice very thin slices of the zucchini lengthwise.  Makes lovely rbbons.

Heat a sauté pan and melt the butter.  Toss in the zucchini and sauté 2-3 minutes only. Toss the zucchini lightly. Remove from the heat and add dill and salt and pepper. Serve placing the strips into curled ribbons.

TIPS:

•  Beets can be roasted with a drizzle of olive oil.
•  Cold beets are great in salads
•  Beets stain, so be very careful not to get it's juice on you, your clothes etc.
•  I keep a pair of rubber gloves I use for cooking only. (handling fish, beets, squid ink etc)

As always be your own Creative Dump Cook and change this recipe to what YOU have on hand!