Summer Dinner

Just thought I'd share some photos of the delicious dinner I made tonight.  It consisted of steamed artichoke with spicy dipping sauce (recipe below), grilled golden beets with a balsamic reduction, kale with tahini sauce, maple marinaded tempeh, and a few slices of fresh baguette from the farmers' market (I swear I'll start making my own soon).  Fresh, delicious, seasonal.  A few things:

• The zesty dipping sauce I used for the artichoke leaves/petals** was:
• 2 T vegan mayo
• 1 T Sriracha
• 1/2 T dijon mustard
• 1 t curry powder
• I used golden beets in my grilled beets recipe.  These were even sweeter than the candy stripe variety.  I also reduced the balsamic marinade quickly on the stove while the beets were grilling on the cast iron.  Ended up with a sticky, sweet balsamic reduction that was to die for
• Based on a suggestion from Jeff, I cut out the water from the tahini sauce for kale.  Ended up with a thicker, more strongly flavored sauce, but I think I like thinner better.  The more delicate flower allows the kale to shine through.

I think the only thing that would have made this meal better would have been some grilled tomatoes.  Otherwise, this was just about perfect.  With some local blueberries for dessert.  Heaven indeed.  Enjoy the photos below (I also just got a new, tabletop tripod so I'm having a lot of fun taking photos).  Click to enlarge.

my plate.  From top left: baguette, tempeh, kale, beets

artichoke and dipping sauces, our plates, bowl for artichoke leaves

perfect

**Are the green parts you eat from an artichoke more technically leaves or petals?

Coming soon: I've asked Jeff to contribute his sushi expertise as a guest contributor.  He is hesitant to do so though I think he is doing a lovely job of making himself sushi for lunch (and dinners when I'm not home).  I took photos the other day when he made it, so we will see if we get anything posted about that.

grilled candy striped beets

I got these delicious heirloom candy striped beets in my CSA this year.  A friend of mine who gets the same CSA suggested grilling them.  I don't have a grill but did this in my oven and using my cast iron skillet. Beets are a borderline vegetable for both my boyfriend and me.  These ended up sweet, earthy, and yummy.  I would recommend trying these if you don't think you like them.

For 2 large servings, you'll need:

• 3-4 small-medium beets
• 1/3C balsamic vinegar
• 1t rosemary
• 1 clove garlic, crushed & chopped
• 1/2t herbes de provence

The steps:

• Wash and peel beets.  Cut into discs, about a 1/4 inch thick.
• Combine marinade ingredients and add beet slices
• Marinate at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure even coverage
• When you're ready to cook, preheat your oven to 425*
• Place beets in a 9x13 baking pan.  Spread out so only one layer
• Cover the pan in foil and bake
• Bake for 15-20min, or until fork tender
• During the last few minutes of baking, preheat your cast iron skillet (one like this)
• Remove beets from the oven and cook them 2-4 minutes on each side in your skillet over med-high heat
• Serve with rice or other roasted veggies or tempeh (like this)

*If you would like to grill these, rather than cooking them in the oven, you can wrap the beets in foil and cook on the grill 15-20 min, until fork tender.  Then, remove from the foil and grill for a few minutes.