The Golden Ticket

When we first started to get beets in our share this summer, Katie and I were really excited.  Beets are awesome!  Golden beets are even more awesome!  But when we got beets week after week after week, the novelty sort of wore off.  We couldn't keep up with them.  Seriously, you can only eat so many beets. 

Neither of us wanted the beets.  When I went back to work, Katie started getting the share and she would sneak the beets into the bottom of the bag when she'd drop off my half.  Gee, thanks, Katie.  Soon my vegetable drawer had a month's worth of beets in it.

Last week I picked up our share and found myself with 6 more beets.  I was going to make Katie take them but then I had an idea to make a golden beet soup.  She didn't mind me keeping all of them so I combined them with a few beets I already had and some carrots I bought from Farmer Glen.  

This is probably the first soup I've made completely on my own without following a recipe. It turned out so well I'd make it again.  It's smooth and creamy, sweet and delicious.  The addition of rosemary at the end is essential - don't leave it out!  We enjoyed it with a simple salad and the easiest, cheapest, best biscuits ever.  

I was happy to use up so many beets all at once.  Not that my vegetable drawer is beet-free yet...but there's definitely a lot more room in there now!

Golden Beet and Carrot Bisque
(printable recipe)

Ingredients:

9 golden beets, peeled and cut into chunks
5 sweet carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
1 onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1-inch piece of ginger, grated
4 cups vegetable broth
black pepper, to taste

Fresh chopped rosemary, or dried, as garnish

Directions:

1. Prepare all the veggies and put them into 4-quart slow-cooker.  Add broth and pepper.  Stir to combine.

2. Set slow-cooker to low and cook for 8 hours.

3. Puree soup using an immersion blender or in batches in a regular blender.  Ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh or dried rosemary.

Makes 4 servings.

What is your favorite way to prepare golden beets?

Birthday Weekend

Having pneumonia and a sinus infection sure puts a damper on one's birthday plans.  Brian and I were going to have dinner Saturday night at the Majestic Cafe with Katie and Tony before going to see Capture the Flag and The Armed at the Magic Stick.  I figured no one wanted to sit at a table with or next to someone who spent more time coughing than eating so we decided to reschedule dinner.  And as for the show, my cough only gets worse as the night wears on so by 11:00 p.m., I'd have spent the entire show doubled over hacking away.  

So we changed our plans.  We drove out to Whole Foods in Ann Arbor to pick up some prepared foods to eat at home while we watched the Tigers game.  (Well, I watched until the first rain delay and then went to sleep.  The Tigers lost anyway.)

California Quinoa (edamame, cilantro, coconut, mango, almonds, red pepper, onions, raisins, lime juice, balsamic vinegar)

Eggplant Manicotti and Sesame Greens

On my birthday - Sunday - I had planned to run the Big House Big Heart 10K in Ann Arbor.  When I found out I couldn't run I was really thrown off.  I'd been planning it for weeks!  I didn't know what I wanted to do instead.  I had thought about going to Avalon for a date bar but was having such a coughing fit when I woke up that I decided against it.  They already don't like us at the bakery and this would be the nail in the coughin'.  (hee hee)  So I had my Banana Chamomile Morning Smoothie (needed the hydration anyway) and relaxed at home with the paper and some coffee. It was a really low-key day, since I'm so darn tired these days.

For dinner Brian and I made Chesapeake Tempeh Cakes, baked green tomatoes, and coleslaw.  The tempeh cakes recipe is from Vegan Brunch but you can also get the recipe here.  Brian made a vanilla cake with coconut-vanilla frosting for dessert - a recently-discovered favorite!

Chesapeake Tempeh Cakes

Baked Green Tomatoes

On Monday we got up early and drove out to Erwin Orchards in South Lyon.  They have a cider mill, u-pick orchards, a corn maze, and activities for kids.  It's been around for 90 years!  The weather was gorgeous so it was a perfect day to just walk around and enjoy the sunshine and fresh air.

 There were lots of great photo ops!  

And I made some new friends!

I tried to sneak in a workout...but Brian said not with my pneumonia.

Brian enjoyed his cider and donut and then we got out of there just as the school buses pulled in.

After Erwin's we went to Lush so I could buy a few bubble bars, some Toothy Tabs, and a massage bar.  I'm still not feeling much better so a little pampering is definitely in order.  (Thanks, Mom, for the gift certificate!)

That was my birthday weekend!  I wish I'd been feeling better but all it all it was a pretty good birthday.  

Hopefully I'll be healthy and running again soon.  Keep your fingers crossed for me and I'll let you know as soon as I'm back out there hitting the pavement!

There's a constant ringing in my ears...

That's from standing too close to the stage and forgetting my ear plugs.  The ear plugs that were in my pockets.  Not a very smart move.  Actually, by now that ringing is gone but it did last a full 24 hours.  (For you Raconteurs fans you'll recognize the song lyric.)

Main stage lineup

On September 17, Brian and I attended the 1st annual MI Fest at the Michigan International Speedway.  MI Fest was meant to be a showcase of Michigan acts or those with ties to Michigan.  Jack White's presence was felt throughout the festival, with his band The Raconteurs headlining the show and several of the bands from his Third Man Records label playing on the second stage.  

Third Man Records rolling record store

Black Belles

Black Milk

Jack was also spotted in his signature black hat and jacket, taking in sets by other festival performers with fellow Raconteurs Brendan Benson and Little Jack Lawrence.  I must note that Brendan was looking rather Bowie-esque in his white pants, blouse, suspenders, and white oxfords with chardonnay in hand...at 4 p.m. on the lawn.  Swoon!  I SO wanted to get a picture but it seemed too awkward a moment to ask and there weren't enough people around for me to take one without him noticing.

Jack White

Okay, so let me back up to where I said MI Fest was "meant" to be a showcase of Michigan acts.  The sad thing is that, just days before the event, promoters cancelled 8 acts - the entire local stage - due to low ticket sales.  Kind of unbelievable, right?  Fortunately, Brian and I were really going to see The Raconteurs and Sheryl Crow (neither of whom had canceled) so we weren't too disappointed, but it was too bad that for a Michigan-themed show, there were many fewer Michigan bands than originally planned.  But I'm not going to focus on that here on my vegan blog.

What am I going to focus on, you're probably wondering?  Is it going to be the free VIP food we got throughout the day - chicken fingers, fried mac and cheese squares, egg rolls, and nachos?  Nah.  Maybe Kid Rock's stellar Bad Ass beer served throughout the festival?  No.  That, uh, speaks for itself.  Let me say a quick thank-you to festival organizers for allowing me to bring in carrots sticks, fruit, and Luna Bars!

There was a little area called The Greenhouse that was a farmer's market of sorts that had some fruits and vegetables and lots of fresh-baked goods - cookies, muffins, pies, etc.  Nothing vegan, of course.  Other than that there was Bob Evans, a pulled pork truck, and your run of the mill "Refreshments" stand serving fried festival food.  And then we spotted the El Guapo taco truck, all the way from Detroit.  It beckoned to us from atop the hill and we were immediately drawn to the shiny truck.

How can you not love this logo?

I was excited to see vegetarian tacos and burritos on the menu but I had to ask if the veggies and meat are cooked on the same grill.  The man working the window was impressed with my dedication to veganism but had to tell me that yes, everything is cooked together (due to lack of space they only have one grill).  BUT he quickly offered to simply steam the veggies and skip the grilling step.  He said the rice and beans are meat-free so without the queso - viola! - vegan burrito!  It was so fresh and delicious and way more satisfying than the Larabar I had planned to have for dinner.

Vegetariano Burrito Grande (minus queso and onions) with salsa verde - $5.50

El Guapo Grill made a special trip from Detroit to be at MI Fest.  It's definitely worth YOU making a special trip to Detroit to visit El Guapo.  YUM!

Here are a couple of pictures from the headliners - Sheryl Crow and The Raconteurs. 

Sheryl Crow

The Raconteurs

Jack White

All photo credits go to Brian and you can check out his Flickr Photostream for more pictures and videos.

Did you attend MI Fest?  Have you eaten at El Guapo?

Farmer's Market Fridays - 10/7/11

Bet you thought you wouldn't see another one of these posts til next summer.  Well, an unfortunate circumstance led me to the farmer's market on Friday.  

I know that 1st grade germs are brutal.  Turns out they're even worse than I thought!  I was sick for over a week with a pretty bad cold.  I was taking cold medicine and resting but wasn't feeling better.  As time went on and it actually seemed to get worse, I figured it was a sinus infection and I should see a doctor.  It didn't explain the persistent smoker's cough that was keeping me up all night long but I didn't think it was a big deal.  That would go away.

So I went to the doctor.  Sinus infection?  Check.  Oh, and pneumonia on one side.  What?!?  Obviously it isn't the worst case of it but it's there.  Who'da thunk?  So my doctor recommended a few days of rest, gave me some medication including an inhaler, and said NO RUNNING.  I had the Big House Big Heart 10K planned tomorrow, which I obviously won't be doing.  And wouldn't you know that we're having the most beautiful October weather ever?  It's absolutely perfect weather for running!  Very frustrating!  I just hope that I'll be better by next Sunday to do the Detroit Free Press 1/2 marathon. 

Okay, back to the market.  Since I hadn't planned on taking the day off, I went in to work early to leave sub plans.  On my way home, I stopped at the market to pick up my share from Living Stones.

dinosaur kale and the last tomatoes of the season

mixed greens

golden beets

leeks and baby bok choy

eggplant and peppers

butternut and delicata squash

I also bought some of the limited edition Halloween and Fall soaps from Cellar Door Soap Co.  I'm a sucker for limited edition bath products.  There were a few others that were very tempting but I restrained myself and only bought 3 bars (I still have 3 in my closet plus the one I'm currently using).  You should definitely check them out for yourself before they're all gone.

I also got some carrots from Farmer Glen.  I was so glad to get to see him one last time before the year was out.  

That was it.  I didn't linger long, figuring no one wanted me coughing all over their produce.  Avalon wasn't there so I couldn't even treat myself to a date bar.  Tomorrow's my birthday so I think Brian and I might make a trip downtown to the bakery to get one.  I'll let you know if we do.

Have a great weekend!