Podcast 65: Summer Gardens & Greens

by The Meal Makeover Moms on July 28th, 2009

white-houseLast week when Janice and her family traveled to Washington, DC on vacation, they stopped by the White House to see if they could catch a glimpse of Michelle Obama’s organic vegetable garden. Though they couldn’t get too close — the secret service were everywhere so scaling the fence was clearly not an option — Janice imagined she saw a bounty of ripe, juicy tomatoes, zucchini, and Swiss chard growing throughout the eleven hundred square foot garden.

Our backyard gardens will never be as fancy schmancy as Michelle’s, but we’re still pretty darn proud of what we’ve each managed to grow this season. That’s the topic of this week’s Cooking with the Moms radio podcast. During the show, we dish about the nutritional merits of all sorts of greens — spinach, chard, collards — and share two fun recipes.

gardencropped

The first, for Mesclun Greens with Panko Crusted Goat Cheese Rounds, is more of a toss-together salad than an actual recipe.  To make it, place your favorite greens (preferably from your garden or farmer’s market) on four salad plates and top with anything that appeals to you and your family (or your guests): sliced tomatoes, sliced strawberries, cucumbers, etc.  Next, take a small log of goat cheese (plain or herb) and slice into about 8 rounds. Beat an egg, dip the rounds in the egg, and then dredge in Panko bread crumbs. Heat extra virgin olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the goat cheese and cook several minutes per side until golden brown and crispy. Top your salad with the rounds and dig in.

Next up on the show, we shared a recipe inspired by New York Times food writer, Mark Bittman. We’re not sure that every kid will ask for seconds after trying it, but we sure loved it!

Beet Rosti with Rosemary
Makes 4 Servings

  • 2 pounds beets (3 very large or 4 to 6 medium)
  • 2 teaspoons coarsely chopped fresh rosemary
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
  • ½ cup flour
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • Minced parsley or a few rosemary leaves for garnish

1. Trim beets, and peel them as you would potatoes; grate them in food processor or by hand. Begin preheating 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat.

2. Toss grated beets in bowl with rosemary, salt and pepper. Add about half the flour; toss well, add rest of flour, and toss again.

3. Put butter in skillet; heat until it begins to turn nut-brown. Scrape beet mixture into skillet, and press with spatula to form a round. With medium to medium-high heat — the pancake should gently sizzle — cook, shaking pan occasionally, until bottom of cake is nicely crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Slide cake onto a plate, top with another plate, invert the two plates, and return cake to pan. Keep cooking, adjusting heat if necessary, until other side is browned, another 10 minutes or so. Garnish, cut into wedges, and serve hot or at room temperature.

 beet-roesti

Feel free to share your vegetable garden success stories with us. We’d love to hear all about what you have growing in your gardens!  Also, to see updated photos of Liz’s garden, visit our flickr page.

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2 Comments | Filed Under CulinaryAdventures, Podcast, Vegetables 

2 Responses to “Podcast 65: Summer Gardens & Greens”

  1. Bill Medifast on July 29th, 2009

    Such a delicious recipe. I just started my first vegetable garden this year. I am quite excited to try things out. The recipe you’ve given sounds so tasty. I will for sure have to put in some beets for next year. Thanks for sharing this with us.

  2. Angela on August 2nd, 2009

    The greens with goat cheese looks like a recipe I’d love. I’ve never been much of a beet person, but this recipe intrigues me!

    We have grape tomatoes, beefsteak tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, and eggplant in our garden. We also have a lima bean that son #3 grew in science class, and it has continued to grow! No beans on it yet though. :) We’ve also got basil, thyme, rosemary, oregano, and chives. I love my herbs!

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