As I am sure that you have figured out by now, I love beets and am always trying to find new and innovative ways to eat them from beet juice to beet ice cream to beet salad. Yesterday, it was raining and I was craving a warm and comforting dish that filled me up but wasn't overly heavy but was also thinking about how we eat with our eyes and what makes a dish pretty.

I don't know about you, but I spend a lot of time on Instagram and Pinterest looking at food. It inspires me to see what others are doing but it also gives me guidance about the aesthetics of cooking. Everyone wants to eat healthier but if it looks like a pile of crap no one is interested.

When I sliced my beets and pureed my grilled carrots I originally put them together in a spring form pan, the resulting taste was awesome but it didn't look pretty at all. In reality it looked like a mess and when I went to slice it it looked even worse. So, I went back to the drawing board and started over. That is where this beautiful dish came into play. Instead of layering everything together I made small bites, placing the beet as a base, topping with the carrots and greens and a touch of goat cheese.

The best part about this dish is that you can always eat any of the parts separately, especially those grilled carrots - man where they amazing. I hope that you enjoy and that it looks pretty enough to eat!

Roasted Beets with Honey & Ginger Carrot Puree and Garlic Greens

Roasted Beet

1 large Beet

Olive Oil

Pink Himalayan Sea Salt

Carrots

8-10 Carrots

2 tbs Olive Oil

1 tbs Pink Himalayan Sea Salt

1 tbs Raw Honey

1 in Ginger, peeled

1 clove Garlic

1 tbs Smoked Paprika

1/4 - 1/2 cup water or milk of choice

Greens

1 bunch Swiss Chard, rinsed and stems removed

1 tbs Olive Oil

1 small Onion, sliced

4 cloves Garlic, chopped

Pinch of Pink Himalayan Sea Salt

Preheat Grill to medium high heat. Rub olive oil on the outside of the beet and sprinkle with sea salt. Place in foil and cook on the grill until tender, about 30 minutes. Toss the carrots with 1 tbs of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Arrange on grill, roasting for 20 minutes or until easily pierced with a fork.

Meanwhile, in a saute pan heat 1 tbs of olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onion, cooking until translucent about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another minute or until fragrant. Add the swiss chard to the pan and cover with a lid letting steam until wilted, stirring together. Set aside.

Remove beet and carrots from the grill. Peel the beet and slice into 1/4 in circles. Place on beet slice on each plate or arrange slices on a platter throwing a few smaller slices under the broiler to crisp.

Add the carrots, ginger, paprika, garlic, and honey to a good processor. Process until smooth, adding water or milk to reach your desired consistency. Add sea salt to taste.

Top each beet slice with a spoonful of carrot puree. Top the carrot puree with a bit of the swiss chard. Top with a broiled beet chip and a drop of goat cheese. Enjoy and Healthy Eating!

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is an important topic when discussing food, probably more important than the debate of organic vs. non-organic. Supporting local farmers is a way to ensure that your community is thriving, that your vegetables are fresh and haven't traveled 2,000 miles to you and allows you to eat seasonally while most importantly experimenting!

Often when participating in a CSA you work with new vegetables and develop interesting recipes in order to accommodate the sheer mass of produce that you are receiving. When I open my fridge I know that I have to use of that swiss chard or that kale or those garlic scapes before they turn and that spurs me to be inventive but also forces me to consume larger quantities of good for you veggies!

I am a member of the Royal Acres Farm CSA and consider John and John not only as my veggie gods but as friends as well. I met them when I was managing vendors for a local farmers market and have been a fan ever since. I suppose you could call me a farmer 'FAN GIRL' and especially a veggie fan girl!

About 2 weeks ago I received a bunch of garlic scapes and have had them in the fridge knowing that I wanted to makes some pesto. Pesto is so versatile, it can be used as a spread, a sauce, or a condiment and can be frozen for later use. You can make it with any variety of greens, with cheese or without and with nuts/seeds or without. Essentially all you need is greens, olive oil, salt, and lemon to make something tasty. However, when talking to John about garlic scape pesto he stated that I lot of other CSA members where not enjoying the flavor so that is how the Royal Acres Farm CSA Pesto evolved. It is strong flavored pesto that mellows when heated and utilizes radish greens considering that garlic scapes and radishes are often available at the same time.

I have used this pesto for a multitude of purposes, eating it with a spoon but also spreading it on toast with arugula, tomatoes, and radish as well as adding it to sweet potato noodles, topped with a poached egg and olive oil which was absolutely delightful. I have also create a number of variations, using mustard greens, kale, almonds, walnuts, and sometimes sunflower seeds so feel free to experiment and enjoy.

Radish Green and Garlic Scape Pesto

Makes 2 cups

2 bunches of Radish Green Tops (radishes removed)

4-6 Garlic Scapes (depending on your garlicy preference)

1/4 cup of Olive Oil

1/4 cup of Parmesan Cheese

1 tbs ground Flax Seeds

1 Lemon, juiced

Handful of Basil Leaves

1tbs Pink Himalayan Sea Salt

Fill a large bowl with water and put the radish greens in to remove the dirt. Rinse and repeat until the water turns clear. Dry Lightly.

In a food processor, place the first bunch of radish greens, pulsing to break down. Add the second bunch and do the same. This just makes it easier for the machine to process the whole bunch. With the machine running add the garlic scapes one at a time and then the olive oil, lemon juice, flax, parmesan, basil and salt. Process until smooth and bright green. Add more olive oil if it is too thick. Taste and adjust by adding more salt or scapes if you would like.

Transfer to an airtight container and use within a week or freeze for later use.