Gingerly Picked Beets With Cinnamon And Pepper Food

SPICED PICKLED BEETS

Steps:

• Scrub beets and trim tops to 1 in. Place in a Dutch oven and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until tender, 25-35 minutes. Remove from water; cool. Peel beets and cut into fourths., Place beets in a Dutch oven. Add sugar, water and vinegar. Place spices on a double thickness of cheesecloth; bring up corners of cloth and tie with string to form a bag. Add to beet mixture. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 10 minutes. Discard spice bag., Carefully pack beets into 4 hot 1-pint jars to within 1/2 in. of the top. Carefully ladle hot liquid over beets, leaving 1/2-in. headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if necessary, by adding hot mixture. Wipe rims. Center lids on jars; screw on bands until fingertip tight. , Place jars into canner with simmering water, ensuring that they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil; process for 35 minutes. Remove jars and cool.

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.

CINNAMON PICKLED BEETS

Steps:

• Pour beet liquid, vinegar, sugar, and cinnamon sticks into a saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook over medium-high heat until the sugar has dissolved, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 5 minutes. Pour mixture over sliced beets, and stir to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours before serving.

GINGER PICKLED BEETS

Steps:

• Prepare an ice-water bath; set aside. Cover beets with cold water by 2 inches in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer beets until tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, about 30 minutes. Transfer beets with a slotted spoon to ice-water bath. Discard cooking liquid. Trim beets and rub off skins with paper towels, or peel beets with a paring knife. Cut beets into very thin rounds; transfer to a large bowl.
• Bring ginger, vinegar, sugar, and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Pour liquid over beets; stir. Let stand until completely cool, at least 1 hour.

GINGERLY PICKED BEETS WITH CINNAMON AND PEPPER

Steps:

• Boil the beets in a lage pan of water until tender, 45-60 minutes.
• Cool, peel off the skins and slice the beets into wedges. Place in a shallow bowl in one layer.
• Heat the sugar, ginger, vinegar and water until just boiling and add the cinnamon stick and scotch bonnet, if using.
• Pour over the sliced beets and allow to sit until cooked.