Eclectic early fall menu today

The chilled beet soup with horseradish sour cream (from Fine Cooking "Fresh") is based on the Eastern European cold summer borscht recipe, but the addition of orange zest and juice (I used Valencia orange), honey, and the use of red wine vinegar instead of the usual distiller vinegar take it to another level. Roasting beets intensifies the flavor. If you think that you don't like beets, and you only tried the tasteless canned variety, please, reconsider.




Get the beets with the greens still attached, trim off the greens, leaving 1 inch on, scrub the roots; place the beet roots with 1/2 cup water, a few thyme sprigs, and a few strips of orange zest in an ovenproof dish, wrap in aluminum foil, and place in a 400 degrees oven for an hour or so. Remove from oven, let cool, peel the beets with your (gloved) fingers. Taste the difference.



Chilled beet soup with horseradish sour cream
Serves four

1-1/2 lb. small or medium beets (2 bunches), trimmed, scrubbed
4 cloves garlic, unpeeled
3 strips orange zest
3 sprigs fresh thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground white or black pepper
2 Tbsp EVOO
2-1/2 cups chicken stock or water
2 tsp honey
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

1 Tbsp prepared horseradish
1/2 cup sour cream
Cream or water as needed
Fresh dill sprigs for garnish (optional)

Bake beets and garlic with orange zest, thyme, olive oil, salt and pepper.

Peel beets and garlic. Discard orange zest and thyme, save the pan juices (strain).

Blend in batches beets, garlic, pan juices, chicken stock, honey. Stir in orange juice and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate.

Stir horseradish into sour cream. Thin with cream or water, if needed. Refrigerate.

To serve, ladle soup into bowls, spoon a little horseradish sour cream on top, garnish with dill.



Vegetable lasagna has layers of sautéed onion, garlic, eggplant, zucchini, and red bell pepper, layered with ricotta cheese and tomato sauce, with sautéed mushrooms and fresh mozzarella on top.

The menu:
Chilled beet soup with horseradish sour cream

Daal

Vegetable lasagna
Mediterranean salad

Mariscada
Spiced sweet potatoes

Chicken Marengo
Farro risotto with mushrooms

Stuffed peppers




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Location:San Francisco, CA