ON THE SALAD BEET

by KATHERINE ROSSMOORE

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Like many wonderful inventions, this salad was an impromptu event—the unplanned result of inspiration. Earlier in the DoC (day of creation), I was standing in line at the Hingham Farmers’ Market with a big bunch of lovely beets crowned with bountiful wide greens. The helpful workers at the cash register offered to trim the tops. No! I selected this bunch just for the greens! Another shopper asked me whether I was juicing.

Heck no! I was going to cook up these beauties.

My plan was to roast the beets, wrapped in foil and slathered with coconut oil, then serve them on a bed of fresh locally-grown spinach. I would cook the beet greens with onion and lemon juice and eat them separately.

As I cooked, inspiration came: why not combine the still warm and lovely beet greens and roasted beets in the salad? The miso dressing I had made would pair beautifully with the flavors and the wholeness of the plant would be maintained. “Eat the whole plant whenever you can,” is one of my mantras.

Beets are a local Superfood. The foliage is an excellent source of calcium, B-carotene, and they are higher in iron and magnesium than kale! A serving contains over 200% of RDA of Vitamin A and lutein (essential for eye health) as well as Vitamins K, C, and B-complex including folate. The beet root is a well known stimulant of the liver’s detoxification process and is rich in fiber and antioxidant enzymes, and contains many of the same properties as the greens.

Miso, made from fermented soybeans, also contains enzyme-rich compounds (which are said to aid in the liver’s detoxification process), probiotics (good for the gut), and Vitamin b-12. Note: always buy organic miso to avoid genetically modified soybeans.

In summertime, especially if you enjoy a cocktail or beer on the beach, it is always good to assist your liver with the foods you eat!

BEET & SPINACH SALAD Recipe

Katherine Rossmoore, the mother of three incredible sons, is using her love of cooking and writing in her holistic health and wellness business. She is also a certified yoga teacher, and a lawyer.

Pfirsichbowle Recipe

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A local interpretation of the German summer punch called Pfirsichbowle, this refreshing drink is unbeatable fur an afternoon party on a hotsummer’s day. If you don’t have your own peach tree, use the handy search tool at farmfresh.org to locate one nearby-there are dozens of peach orchards on the South Coast and South Shore.

For a special treat, try some of Acushnet’s famous white peaches in your Pfirsichbowle. Extraordinary!

-PM.