"Beet" Ya To It!

If I post a new recipe here, I usually wait till Thursdays, when I go pick up my share at our CSA. But this one can't wait...

I have mentioned here previously how I want to gratefully receive the "manna" (see Exodus 16) that God provides to me in this season of less-than-full-time employment. That means that at least once a week I look in my crisper and pantry and say, "Well Lord, what are we gonna make tonight?"

And thanks to internet (or interweb, as my good friend The Pastor Reverend Karl says...) I can just plug in various ingredients and voila! I get to venture into the unknown. Yes, you can even step out in faith in the ways you eat, people...

Tonight I looked in the crisper and saw 5 Fairview Gardens beets and a leek, along with the ever-present package of Costco organic pasta in the pantry. I found a recipe with some potential, and added a bit of my own flair. (Props to my friend Steph for convincing me that beets are worth it.) Here goes! (Sorry I don't have a photo. The camera on my phone is broken.)

ROASTED BEETS & LEEKS PASTA SALAD

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

1 leek, sliced

3-5 raw beets, peeled & cubed

2 1/2 cups rainbow rotini pasta (or let's be honest, whatever you have...)

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons rosemary, minced

2 tablespoons parsley, minced

Kosher salt

2 tb shredded parmesan

PROTEIN - optional: add a cup of diced chicken, 3-4 pieces of chopped bacon or 3 oz of shrimp. I put in the shrimp. Yesssssss.

1. Toss beet cubes in 1 tablespoon olive oil and rosemary. Sprinkle with a bit of salt. Place them on a sheet lined with foil and bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 35-40 minutes. Stir them periodically with a spatula. (PS cutting beets while they are raw is a much less messier business.)

2. As beets cook, drop butter and remaining olive oil in a wide pan on the stove. Add leeks & minced garlic. Cover and allow to cook until they soften and begin to brown, approximately 20 minutes. Stir occasionally to keep from sticking.

3. Meanwhile, start a pot of salted water boiling on the stove. Drop in pasta and cook according to package’s directions. Drain and set aside.

4. Once beets, leeks and pasta are done, mix to combine. Add more garlic if you want, and parsley (and protein?) and toss well. Salt to taste, sprinkle parmesan right before serving.

¡Muy Deliciosa!