Last week, I was driving past a farmers’ market near my home and decided to stop. I love farmers’ markets and their fresh produce, but I never frequent them. I don’t know why but I seem to end up at the grocery store to buy fruits and vegetables.

I bought two things at the farmers’ market: Squash and beets. When I bought the beets, the woman asked if I’d ever cooked the greens. No, I had not. She recommended cooking them with olive oil and garlic (two of my favorites).

I grew up on beets; they are one of the few vegetables that I vividly recall eating as a child. I believe that we ate so many that I avoided them when I grew up. Until recently. A friend and I were talking about pickled beets (which she loves) and our conversation reminded me of my childhood. So, I bought a bunch of the dark red beets from my grocery store a couple months ago and pickled them. They tasted better than I remembered when I was younger.

The new bunch I purchased a week ago were colorful: orange or yellowish, and deep red, all covered in soil. I knew that I did not want pickled beets so I search for a different way to prepare them. My local newspaper ran a story earlier this month about how chefs were finding new ways to serve fresh beets, but the recipes accompanying the story were so unappetizing.

Through Google, I came across two recipes that I liked and chose the one that incorporated the greens. The recipe was from the New York Times, and can be served either hot or cold. The story mentioned that beets were good and fresh this time of year, and even better, they contained such nutrients as potassium, magnesium and folic acid. The dish was delicious.

To top it off, I decided to make some lavender lemonade. Fatimah Ali, who writes the Healthy Southern Living blog, and I had had some when we went to see a perfume bottle exhibit a month ago at Longwood Gardens just outside Philadelphia. During the exhibit, Longwood was holding “Fragrant Friday,” which focused on a particular scent. That Friday was lavendar, and we both loved the lemonade so much that we went back for seconds. 

When I came across dried lavender at another farmers’ market recently, I decided to buy some. I shared the small packet with Fatimah, and made a pitcher-full to go with my meal of beets, lima beans with crumbled sage turkey sausage, squash and chicken.

I found a recipe for lavender lemonade from wholeliving.com. It was bit tart for me; next time I’d cut back on the lemon zest.

- Sherry Howard, who writes the Auction Finds blog.

Recipes:

This beet recipe called for Gruyere cheese, but I used what I had on hand: mozzarella, cheddar and feta (what can I say, I love cheese).  I also used Mrs. Dash instead of salt, and left out the chives because I didn’t have any. But I used plenty of garlic.

Beet and Beet Green Gratin (serves 6)

2 bunches beets, both red and golden. You should have about 2 pounds beets and 3/4 pound greens.

Salt to taste

3 eggs

3/4 cup low-fat milk

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

2 large garlic cloves, minced

1/3 cup chopped chives (1 bunch)

2 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated (1/2 cup)

Freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Roast the beets. Remove from the heat and allow to cool, then cut the ends off, slip off the skins and slice across the equator.

2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil while you stem and wash the greens in two changes of water. Fill a bowl with ice water. When the pot of water comes to a boil, salt generously and blanch the greens for about one minute. (You can also steam the greens until they wilt, one to two minutes). Transfer the greens to the ice water, then drain and squeeze out the water. Chop coarsely.

3. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a medium skillet, and add the garlic. Cook for about 30 seconds, stirring, until fragrant. Stir in the greens. Stir together for a minute, season the greens with salt and pepper, and remove from the heat.

4. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Oil a 2-quart gratin or baking dish with olive oil. Beat together eggs, salt (about 1/2 teaspoon), pepper, milk, chives and the Gruyère. Gently stir in the greens and beets. Scrape into the gratin dish. Bake 35 to 40 minutes until set and lightly browned on the top. Allow to sit for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Serve hot, warm or room temperature.

Lavendar Lemonade

 4 lemons

1/2 cup dried lavender

1/2 cup raw honey

1. Using a vegetable peeler, remove zest from two lemons, leaving white pith behind. Squeeze all of the lemons for 2/3 cup juice and set aside. In a large pot bring 5 1/2 cups of water and zest to a boil over high heat. Stir in the lavender. Partially cover the pot, lower the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, place a large strainer lined with cheesecloth or a damp paper towel over another pot or heat-proof bowl. Strain tea, pressing on herbs to extract all liquid. Stir in honey until dissolved. Stir in lemon juice. Let cool completely, about 45 minutes. Fill four tall glasses with ice. Pour tea over ice and serve immediately.

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