woke up yesterday with a craving
for beets?
no matter how much I rummaged
nothing in my fridge or pantry was going to satisfy my body
or quiet the tastebuds in my mouth screaming silently…
“must. have. beets. now!”
so despite the hectic, often comical, yet always rushed morning of
“please please brush your teeth”,
“No, those winter boots don’t really go with your bathing suit, even though they both are purple”,
“I don’t think the camp Morah really said that it’s ok for little girls to wear Mommy’s makeup
to school…”,
“Please stop crying, you sure that NOW you only want yogurt for lunch? Mommy just spent 15 minutes making you the egg salad sandwich you woke up asking for?”
“Ummm, Tunie B.? How did a whole bottle of doggy’s fish food spill in your camp bag?!”
this very tired & slightly overwhelmed single mom of a truly normal 3 3/4 yr old
rushed the mini diva out the door… as fast as one can while juggling minor morning hiccups, camp bags, tossing on my hair & remembering where I put my iPhone last night.
dropped her off at camp …(only 15 minutes late)
skipped her morning walk of serenity at the boardwalk
& instead, ran to the grocery to buy beets!
“must. eat. now!”
finally, with beets in hand…
I was suddenly dumbstruck.
do I really crave them that much..to start messing up the kitchen with boiling & peeling?
my minds Rolodex of possible recipes started flipping…
roast them! Of course!
a few spices, a little olive oil, oven on high
I would have the most satisfyingly delicious beets in 20 minutes or less!
perfectly baked, crispy edges soft sweet juicy middles.
whose subtle thyme & cumin spiced flavor, explodes in your mouth at first bite, treating you to the delicate balance of tangy yet earthy, sweet beet bliss.
It was more than just a craving …
Yet as I popped these beets into my mouth hungrily,
I felt a need…to add feta.
another craving popping up…calling my name, yet again.
with a quick shmear of olive oil, lemon juice & oregano
I made my famous tastebuds Greek salad feta dressing.
added it to my beets, with a few sugar snap peas (I always need a crunch!)
& …viola
my beet cravings…finally….quieted.
feeling the residual effects of my morning catching up with me
the weather & day feeling & looking glorious outside…
I decided, to indulge one last time…
In summer.
& put everything on hold
& grabbed a few hours of just me, warms sand, hot sun, cool waters & a little peace.
….till the little tornado that is, the love of my life…gets out of camp!
Roasted Beets with Feta & Sugar Snap Peas
Ingredients:
3-4 whole beets, peeled & cut into bite size wedges
3-4 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
Sea salt & black pepper to taste
1/4 cup feta cheese
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 cup sugar snap peas, diced
Hemp seeds or chopped nuts for garnish & extra crunch.
Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 375F
On a large cookie sheet, place your beets. Dribble about 3 .5 tbsp. olive oil over the beets, along with the thyme, garlic, cumin, salt & pepper. Using your hands toss everything together, coating the beets well. Bake in oven for about 20 minutes.
While the beets are cooling, on a small plate, mash the feta cheese with a fork. Add the lemon juice, 1-2 tsp. of olive oil. & oregano to the mashed feta cheese and mix well.
Plate your salad with the diced snap peas, beets & feta, garnish with seeds or nuts.
Serve immediately.