Raw beet salad with dill & walnuts

Everyone seems to go pumpkin crazy this time of year. But there's another vegetable that shows up at the farmers market that often gets overlooked. The humble beet. I know some of you might dislike beets, but please give them another try. Any beet lovers out there? I've mentioned this before, but it took me years to appreciate beets.

Beets are excellent for your health. They're great if you want to detox or cleanse which means they support a healthy liver. They also provide the body with beneficial antioxidants and phytonutrients.
I usually roast beets, but today I decided to grate them into a lovely raw salad. I also added apple, ginger, orange juice, balsamic and dill. It was a nice contrast eaten with a warm bowl of butternut squash soup.

Look at that beautiful, deep red color. You know that means it must be good for you. Oh and don't toss out the beet greens. Save them and cook like any other leafy green.

Raw beet salad with dill & walnuts

4 large red beets, peeled
1 golden delicious or gala apple, peeled
1.5 inch piece of ginger, peeled
1.5 T balsamic vinegar
1 T freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tsp cider vinegar (optional)
2 T walnut oil or olive oil
1 T dill, minced
1/2 tsp salt
dash of cracked pepper
Toasted or raw walnuts, to garnish

Grate the beets, apple and ginger (with the grate attachment of your food processor or a cheese grater). Add the next seven ingredients into a small jar (with lid). Screw on the lid and shake. Pour over the beets and mix well. Garnish with walnuts and serve.

Farmers' market goodies

Happy Monday! I wanted to share all the goodies I bought at the farmers' market this past weekend. I love the summer in NC, because the markets are overflowing with amazing produce. Don't those veggies look delicious? In total, I only spent around $30. I think that's a great deal for these delicious local vegetables and goat cheese. What do you think? Did you go to the farmers' market this weekend?

I'm off to water the garden and start the day early. Check in this week to see what I made with these amazing veggies. Have a good one!

Garden progress

Remember this post? Well, look at how much our garden has grown in the past four weeks! There are tiny cucumbers and tomatoes, and the summer squash is about 3 inches long. I'm over the moon with excitement! I'm looking forward to a dinner made with herbs and vegetables from our garden.

We'll be out of town for a family wedding, so I'll be back on Tuesday. Have a great weekend!

My weekend

I hope you all had a great weekend. It flew by. I can't believe its almost Tuesday. 

I bought more beets at the farmer's market as well as some of the most beautiful carrots I've ever seen. They were yellow, orange and purple. I cut the beets and carrots, and roasted them with coconut oil. Then I tossed them into a bowl of quinoa along with orange juice and green onion. Mmm.

I also picked up some vidalia onions. I roasted them in the oven with olive oil & balsamic. They would be delicious way to dress up a veggie burger.

Busy week for me, including a day trip to Chicago on Wednesday. But I'm excited to start reading this The Ayurvedic Cookbook. 

Have a great week. Eat your vegetables.