Fermented Beets With Orange And Ginger Food

GINGER ALE-GLAZED BEETS WITH ORANGE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300°F. Place the beets in an 11-inch straight-sided skillet with a lid. Using a peeler, zest half the orange into the skillet. Juice the whole orange and add it to the skillet, along with the Canada Dry Ginger Ale, butter, 1 teaspoon salt, a few cranks of pepper and enough water to cover the beets. Bring to a boil over high heat, cover, reduce the heat to low and cook until the beets are tender when pierced with a knife, about 35 minutes. Meanwhile, place the pistachios on a baking sheet and toast in the oven until fragrant, about 9 minutes. Let cool and coarsely chop. Set aside. Uncover the beets, increase the heat to high and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick and syrupy, 10 to 12 minutes. Spoon the beets into a serving dish, pour the sauce on top and sprinkle with the pistachios and chives.

FERMENTED BEETS WITH ORANGE AND GINGER

Steps:

• 1. Bring a 4-qt. saucepan of salted water to a boil, and add beets; cook until just tender, about 3 minutes. Drain and transfer to a bowl of ice water, and let sit for 2 minutes to chill. Drain and place beets in a sterilized 1-qt. glass jar along with mustard seeds, allspice berries, peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon, ginger, and orange peel. In a medium bowl, stir together whey, honey, and filtered water; pour over beets until covered. Pour any remaining brine or water into a resealable plastic sandwich bag, and place bag on top of beets to keep them submerged.
• 2. Drape a clean kitchen towel over the jar, and let it sit at room temperature until beets have cured to your taste, about 1 week. Season after curing with kosher or sea salt to taste, cover jar with lid, and refrigerate for up to 1 week.

ROASTED BEETS WITH ORANGE AND GINGER

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Lay a large piece of aluminum foil on a baking sheet and place beets in the center. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Wrap foil loosely around beets and roast in oven until beets are tender when pierced with a fork, about 1 hour. Let stand until cool enough to handle.
• Using a zester, remove a quarter of the orange rind in long, thin strips. Cut away remaining rind and pith with a sharp knife. Remove segments from half the orange and cut them in half crosswise; set aside. Squeeze juice from remaining half and place 1 tablespoon of juice in a small bowl. Add vinegar and ginger and whisk in remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Peel beets and quarter them; toss in a bowl with vinaigrette. Mix with orange segments, zest, and pecans, reserving some of each to sprinkle on top as a garnish.

ROASTED BEETS WITH CRISPY SUNCHOKES AND PICKLED ORANGE-GINGER PURéE

Steps:

• Pickled Orange-Ginger Purée:
• Place the zest strips in a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring the water to a boil, then drain. Repeat this process two more times (blanching the orange zest removes any bitter flavors). Place the ginger and orange zest in a jar or heatproof container. In a saucepan, bring the lime juice, vinegar, sugar, and ¾ teaspoon salt to a boil. Pour over the ginger and orange. Let cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate overnight. The pickled ginger can be refrigerated for a couple of months.
• Drain the pickled ginger and orange and save 3 tablespoons of the pickling liquid. Add both to a blender or mini food processor, along with the olive oil, chile, and remaining 2 tablespoons salt. Blend until very smooth, scraping down the side of the blender as needed. Transfer to a container and refrigerate until ready to use. The puree can be made a couple of days ahead. (Makes about 1 cup.)
• Roasted beets:
• Preheat the oven to 375°F. Place the beets in a baking dish (if using a mix of red and golden beets, separate them into two smaller dishes and divide the oil, vinegar, and water between the two dishes). Drizzle with the oil and add the water and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Cover the pan with foil and roast until the beets are tender when pierced with a knife; this can take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the thickness of the beets. Let the beets cool, then peel and cut into 1-inch wedges. Place each color of beet, along with any accumulated juices, into a small mixing bowl.
• Toasted cashews:
• In a skillet, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add the cashews and cook, stirring constantly, until golden brown. Transfer to a heat-proof bowl.
• Sunchoke chips:
• Pour 1 inch of oil into a small saucepan and add the sunchokes (there should be just enough oil to cover the sunchokes; add more oil if needed). Turn the heat to medium and stir occasionally; when the sunchokes begin to sizzle and foam, increase the temperature to high and continue frying, stirring constantly, until the sunchokes are light golden brown. At this point the sunchokes will rapidly go from golden brown to burnt, so quickly transfer the chips to paper towels to drain. Lightly season with salt. The sunchoke chips can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for a day or two, or until they start to soften. (Makes about ½ cup.)
• For serving:
• Using a sharp knife, cut the peel and pith off the orange. Working over a bowl, cut the orange between the membranes to release the segments. Dice the segments, then return them to the bowl.
• Drizzle the beet wedges with a little bit of olive oil, season with salt, and toss.
• Spread the ginger puree on the bottom of a shallow serving bowl or plate. Arrange the beets over the puree. Sprinkle the chopped orange segments over the beets and grind some pepper over the dish. Top with the cashews, herbs, and sunchoke chips. Serve.