The Odd Kitchen

So many beets, so few mouths here at Odd Kitchen!  Time to get creative. This is essentially an alfredo sauce with grated beets. You can make a vegan version, sans cheese, by substituting olive oil and coconut milk for butter and cream.

2 cups grated beet (1 very large beet or 2 medium-sized beets)
1/2 onion, chopped fine
3 cloves garlic, chopped fine
3-4 tablespoons butter
2 cups cream
1 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese, or a mixture of Parmesan and Fontina
3/4 – 1 cup stock
5-6 leaves fresh basil, shredded (or chiffonade cut, if you like it like that)
Salt & pepper to taste

Heat the butter in a frying pan over a medium-low flame. Add onion and stir, stir, stir until it’s golden brown or darker — caramelized, if you can get it there, but never burned. Add the garlic and a flourish of salt and pepper.

Pour the cream and basil into the pan.  Add grated beets.  Stir and let simmer for about ten minutes; add stock as the liquid evaporates.  When beets are tender, add the cheese and stir until it’s melted and the sauce is creamy. Salt and pepper to taste.

Pasta to come…

2-4 servings

This raw-food salad is based off of a dish I had at a Middle Eastern restaurant on West Broadway many years ago.  It’s excellent alone or as part of a larger survey of food, such as a composed salad plate. I have served this along with a French lentil-feta salad, pureed sweet potatoes with coconut milk, roasted peppers, vegetarian kibbeh, and fresh-baked pitas to positive reviews.

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