Get in My Belly

Beet Ravilois (sample photo, not from the actual recipe)

One thing I didn’t want this blog to become was another recipe site. But one’s love for food is what drives them in their fight to protect it. Recipes are a reminder that food is something to be celebrated and enjoyed.

I know I like something if…I close my eyes, start to chew slowly and try to unravel the flavors parading down the runway of my tounge. We’ve all been there. At least I hope!

At our Slow Food Lake Tahoe’s annual fundraiser two weeks ago, Cooking Outside the (CSA) Box, Dragonfly chef/owner, Bill McCullough put a spin on two rooted vegetables like I’ve never seen. It was the epitome of “cooking outside the box.” I fell compelled to share them both.

The first recipe is…roasted beets, delicately sliced to form raviolis then stuffed with a truffle infused goat cheese and dressed with a balsamic glaze and arugula salad. OMG! The second is…scalloped turnips! Like scalloped potatoes but better and it opens up a whole new door to what you can do with this funky, rooted veggie. Let’s get cookin…

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Beet raviolis (sample photo, not from the actual recipe)

BEET RAVIOLIS W/ TRUFFLED GOAT CHEESE

3 each- Red Beets- similar sizes 3 each- Yellow Beets- similar sizes

In deep hotel pans- or heavy pots, place beets- with no tops. Red in one and Yellow in the other. For each container: Fill with water ½ up beets. Then, add olive oil until the beets are covered. Add 2 T chopped parsley, 4T kosher salt, 2 cloves- chopped garlic, 6 black pepper and juice of 3 lemons. Bring liquid up to quick boil- cover and roast in oven for 35 minutes or until you can just easily put a knife into the beet. Cool beet a bit- peel with hands then cool all the way.

Truffled Goat Cheese Filling: 1 ½ #- Cheve Goat Cheese- room temperature 4T- White Truffle Oil 4T- Basil- chopped Mix together

To Make Ravioli: Slice beet on a mandolin slicer so they are about 1/16” thick. Basically, they should be a little bigger than transparent. Lay beets out on a sheet tray putting matching sizes next to each other. Lay about 2t of filling in middle of beet, but this also depends on beet size. Use your judgment! Then put a similar size beet over the goat cheese. Press down sides.

Balsamic Glaze: Reduce 4 cups of balsamic until syrupy. Reduce at a simmer and when you have tight bubbles, it should be done. This will make extra, but you can put it on strawberries for dessert!

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SCALLOPED TURNIPS

Makes hotel pan- 18 x 12 Pre-Heat Oven to 375 degrees

8 cups- Turnips- peeled and thinly sliced 1 ½ cups- Yellow Onion- thinly sliced 5 T- Garlic- chopped 10 T- Butter 4T- Flour 1 T- Salt 1 ½ cups- Milk 2/3 cup- Heavy Cream 1 t- Black Pepper 3 cups- Gruyere Cheese- grated

-Spray hotel pan with pan spray -Melt butter in sauté pan- sauté onion and garlic until just soft -In a bowl, mix everything together- except cheese. -Once well mixed, layer in pan so turnips are flat and even -Sprinkle cheese evenly over top -Cover with tin foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil then bake for another 40 minutes or until top is golden brown.

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