In the Kitchen with Laura Parisi
In the Kitchen with Nature Evolutionaries, a monthly feature, shares recipes from Earth-honoring, plant-wise folks passionate about delicious and healing foods. This is an invitation to connect with Nature through preparing and eating our food.
With every bite we take, it is possible to ingest the encoded information of the universe - we are not separate from our food! Its subtle energies communicate to every cell of our bodies. These energies stream information about the minerals in the earth, where the food was grown, the amount of rainfall, the bees that pollinated and butterflies that danced, birds that offered their songs, and more.
All of this innate intelligence comes into our bodies with every thoughtful bite. Please enjoy these recipes and our newest feature of connecting with Nature. Salud!
GOLDEN BEET & GREEN BEAN SALAD WITH FRESH FETA
Photo by Nicola Parisi
Serves 6-8
When using organic beets, I often scrub and then leave the peels on. The outer rusty orange color of a golden beet is so beautiful, plus there are a lot of vitamins and minerals in the skin. Truth be told, I do believe there are gnomes who live underground working diligently to provide us with beautiful roots that also serve to inspire our capacity to think creatively.
If you eat dairy, this recipe tastes good with some fresh crumbled goat or sheep milk feta cheese. Mountain Rose Herbs is a great online source for smoked black peppercorns, but if you can’t find them or don’t care for a smoky flavor just use regular black pepper.
4 large golden beets, cut into bite-sized pieces (peeling is optional)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juice
2 scallions, white and green parts chopped
¼ cup unrefined, cold pressed, extra virgin olive oil
1 ½ teaspoons prepared Dijon mustard
Sea salt and smoked fresh ground black pepper to taste
15 green beans
¼ cup basil leaves, torn
2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, lightly chopped
1/2 cup fresh feta cheese
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Steam the golden beets in a vegetable steamer for 15-20 minutes, long enough that they still retain their earth crunch. Set aside to cool, then transfer to a large serving bowl.
In a separate small bowl, prepare the dressing. Whisk together the citrus juice, scallions, olive oil and mustard. Season with a little salt and pepper to taste and set aside. (Prepared mustards are often salty, so check in with your taste buds before adding more)
Rinse and trim the green beans. Transfer to a vegetable steamer and steam for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
Cut the green beans on the diagonal into 2 inch pieces, then add them to the golden beets along with basil and parsley.
Toss the salad lightly with dressing. Top with crumbled feta cheese.
