Tomato-Less Marinara Sauce

Over the years,  I have developed a frustrating allergy to tomatoes and red wine. This does not mean I would need to race for an EpiPen having consumed either of these delights; I just more often then not have to avoid them or suffer the consequences of psoriasis and heartbreak. I gave up on wine years ago but pizza, pasta dripping in red sauce and Chicken Parmigiana have been a struggle. However, I have, oddly enough discovered places around Manhattan where I am not subject to outbreaks and bumps at all (and I vacuumed a pepperoni-laden gooey delicious pizza fantastic quite without impunity last summer in Spain). Odd, no? Please let me know if you have experienced similar allergies and how you've dealt with them!

I just discovered this recipe for a tomato-less marinara sauce where beets and carrots rise to the occasion as an alarmingly bright, grand substitute. Laced with oregano and sprinkled with pinches of Parmesan cheese and grinds of fresh black pepper and salt, these additions will all complement the dish and suffice...well, in a  pinch!

Click on the link here for the recipe and thanks to detoxinista.com!

Leave It To Beets

Freshly plucked from her garden, a friend gave Baby some gorgeous beets, which always remind me of the rich, red earth that Steinbeck wrote about. Baby was about to throw out the momentous leafy fronds when I suggested we prepare them on their own. Beet 'tails' are really composed of two different parts and the leaves should be separated from the stems by cutting a 'v' into them and then setting them aside while preparing the stems. Chop the stems into roughly half inch pieces and boil them in salted water with a few bay leaves until tender, about 10 minutes.

We experimented with the leaves by rolling them up and cutting along the bias to make a chiffonade. With a little toasted sesame oil and minced garlic, we simmered them down until wilted, added the softened, drained stems, tossed with a tablespoon or two of shoyu (naturally brewed soy sauce), a squirt of sriracha hot chili sauce and Sauce Istanbul, a wonderful dressing made simply with tahini, shoyu and water, found here.

What a treat--and what a shame if the leaves had been merely relegated to the garbage!

Lentilles du Puy!

This is a delicious, hearty salad that would go well served alongside grilled brook trout--but we didn't even get that far, instead grazing over it for hours, eating right out of the pan and finishing up the next day. Don't use just water though to cook the lentils; try homemade mushroom stock (vegetable or chicken stock would do nicely too) and about half a cup of white wine. In our dish, the lentils were Goya, the beets were from a can, and the parsley was dried. Oh, and I fried three strips of bacon, removed them and sauteed the carrots and beets in the grease with a little butter instead of the suggested oil. Later, I crumbled the cooled bacon and tossed it into the mix at the end. C'est magnifique!

Lentilles du Puy with Roasted Carrots and Beets

Adapted from Saveur, Issue #18

Serves 6 as a side dish
"This recipe was developed for the esteemed lentils from Le Puy (which have been granted an appellation d'origine contrôlée by the French government), but any French-style lentil will do."

Ingredients
3 small beets, peeled and diced

1 large carrot, peeled and diced

4 shallots, peeled and halved

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 sprigs fresh parsley

2 sprigs fresh thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 lb. lentilles du Puy, or other French-style green lentils, picked over and rinsed
3 tbsp. sherry vinegar

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1. Preheat oven to 400°. Place beets, carrots, shallots, and 1/2 cup oil in a medium roasting pan. Stir to coat vegetables evenly with oil. Add parsley and thyme, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring once, until vegetables begin to brown, about 20 minutes. Add lentils and 3 cups of water, stir, then cover pan with foil. Cook until lentils are tender and all water is absorbed, about 1 hour.
2. Remove pan from oven. Remove and discard herb sprigs, then dress lentils with vinegar and remaining oil. Allow to cool slightly, then stir in chopped parsley. Adjust seasoning and serve.
Variation—Different vegetables and dressings can be used for this salad. For instance, roast 2 cups peeled small pearl onions for 20 minutes as in step 1 above. Dice 4 celery stalks. Add celery and lentils to onions with 3 cups water, cover, and continue roasting. Meanwhile, mix 3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice with 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil in a small bowl. Stir in 1 minced peeled garlic clove and 2 tsp. finely chopped fresh thyme. When lentils are tender and liquid has been absorbed, toss with dressing. Adjust seasoning and serve.