Simple Pleasures Veggie Boxes

The Holidays are Coming...Are You Ready?

The time is now to start planning your holiday meals. I start with the desserts, right now apples, peaches, and fresh fruits are in season. I have a vaccum sealer to help keep my fruit fresh. I start preping my apples, peaches, strawberrys, I peeled, sliced, and dash them with cinniomon, and sugar. I vaccum sealed strawberries, peaches, and apples and put it into the frezzor to be use for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I find planning and preping ahead of time helps cut down on the koas that comes with the holidays. Preping ahead of time for any meals, helps cut down costs, saves money and cuts down on the "big question of what's for dinner".

Recipes to share:

I am excited and proud to introduce Kathi Eggers. She is an accomplished chef with a style of cooking all her own. Kathi is currently writing a cook book with all my favorite foods. As a child growing up, I learned veggies were something you put into your napkin not into your mouth. My best friend's mother caught me doing this at her dinner table, and said try a bite first. My best friends mother is Kathi Eggers, since then I've been eating my veggies. Her cooking always makes my heart jump for joy. MummmGood always comes to mind. I hope you enjoy...

Grilled Summer Squash, Zucchini and Red Onion This is one of our favorites for BBQ

We slice up 3 medium Red Onions into 1/4 slices. Grill with Squash, and Zucchini. It tastes so good...

6 medium yellow squash and /or green zucchinis (or both in our case)

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons coarse-grain mustard

1/4 teaspoon sugar

Prepare grill for indirect-heat cooking over medium-hot charcoal (high heat for gas)

Trim squash and Zucchini cut into halfs lengthwise, then toss with salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons oil in a large bowl.

Whisk together lemon juice, mustard, sugar, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a small bowl. Pour dressing evenly over vegetables before grilling, and touch up after the vegetables come off the grill.

Oil grill rack, then grill vegetables directly over hottest part of coals, covered only if using a gas grill, turning over once, until grill marks appear, about 6 minutes total. Move vegetables to area of grill with no coals underneath and grill, covered, until tender. about 4 minutes more. Transfer to a platter.

Kathi Eggers Recipes for Beets

Okay now you will have an Appetitzer, soup, salad, and a main dish.

6 Tbs. Butter

9 golden beets, peeled, cut into 1/2" cubes (8 to 9 cups), green tops reserved

4 1/2 cups chopped onions

4 Tsps. minced peeled fresh ginger

1 Tbs. finely grated lemon peel

6 cups (or more) low salt chicken broth

2 to 3 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add beets, onions, ginger & lemon peel. Cover, cook 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. *do not let butter burn I add a small amount of olive oil) Add 6 cups broth and bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat & simmer until beets are very tender, 1 hour. Remove from heat, let stand 20 minutes. Puree soup in blender or I use a hand blender until smooth. Return puree to pot. ( If using hand blender leave in pot) Add 2 Tbs lemon juice to soup and thin with more broth, if desired. Season with salt and pepper, and more lemon juice to taste. Slice enough beet greens to measure 3/4 cup. Microwave greens 1 minute to wilt, place in blender. Add 3/4 cup soup. puree greens until smooth. Do ahead of time can be made 1 day ahead. Ladle soup into bowls. Drizzle some of the greens puree over soup and serve... Delicious:-)

This one is always a hit with my veggie friends.

4 medium golden beets trimmed and scrubbed.

3 Tbs. olive oil.

1/2 cup very thinly sliced red onion

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbs, drained capers

2 Tbs. minced fresh chives

6 cups (loosely packed baby arugula

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Toss beets with oil in roasting pan. Sprinkle with salt. Cover pan with foil. Roast beets until tender, about 50 minutes. Let beets stand covered at room temperature 20 minutes. Peel beets. Place in bowl, cover and chill at least 1 hour. Can be made 2 days ahead, keep chilled.

Toss onion, oil, capers, and chives in a small bowl. season to taste with salt and pepper. Thinly slice beets. Arrange beets in circles on each of 6 plates or a platter. Mound arugula atop center of beets on each. Spoon onion caper mixture over. sprinkle with salt and pepper. Yummy

Golden Beet Salad:

6 Large golden beets, trimmed

6 ounces fresh green beans trimmed

Coarse salt I use Kosher salt

2 Tbs. White wine vinegar or Rice Vinegar

2 Tbs. minced shallot

2 Tsp. Dijon mustard

1/4 C extra virgin olive oil

freshly ground pepper

1/4 C loosely packed torn fresh basil, plus small leaves for garnish

2 ounces goat cheese crumbled

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wrap beets in parchment, then foil, and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast until tender, about 1 hour. Let cool completely. Peel and cut beets into 1/2" dice. Transfer toa large bowl. Prepare an ice water bath. Cook green beans in boiling salted water until bright green and crisp tender, about 2 minutes. Transfer to ice water bath, and drain. Cut beans diagonally into thirds, and add to beets.

*Mix vinegar, shallot & mustard in a small bowl. Add oil in a slow steady stream, whisking until emulsified. Toss with vegetables, and season with salt and pepper. Stir in torn basil & goat cheese. garnish with basil leaves....

* Delicious with other salads and very low in calories...