This is an enthusiastic response from one of our new CSA members, Jet Doye. She is quickly learning the tricks of the CSA and how to menu plan to make the most of her produce each week.

Beets and blood oranges with mint and orange flower water

Total time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
Servings: 6

Chef Suzanne Goin she served a similar dish at her restaurant, Lucques, made with tangerines in place of the blood oranges, so this could be more local with fruit from Friends Ranches or from Churchill, and Ojai Olive Oil.

3 bunches small to medium beets
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons best quality olive oil, divided
Kosher salt
5 large blood oranges (or tangerines from Ojai)
2 tablespoons finely diced shallot
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
a few drops of Orange Flower water (I have some that I plan to drop off on Friday)
Freshly ground black pepper
12 mint leaves, sliced thinly on the diagonal

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the greens off the beets, leaving about half an inch of the stems attached. (Save the leaves for sauteeing later.) Clean the beets well, and toss them with 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 teaspoon salt.

Place the beets in a roasting pan with a splash of water in the bottom. Cover tightly with foil and roast about 40 minutes, until tender when pierced. (The roasting time will depend on the size and type of the beet.)
When the beets are done, carefully remove the foil. Let them cool , then peel them by slipping off the skins with your fingers. Cut the beets into one-fourth inch thick slices.

Slice the stem and bottom ends from four of the blood oranges. Stand the oranges on one end and, following the contour of the fruit with your knife, remove the peel and the cottony white pith. Work from top to bottom, rotating the fruit as you go. Slice the oranges thinly into 8 – 10 pinwheels, and discard any seeds.

Juice the remaining blood orange. Combine the diced shallot, vinegar, lemon juice, one fourth cup blood orange juice and one-half teaspoon salt in a small bowl and let sit 5 minutes. Whisk in the remaining 1/2 cup of olive oil, and a drop or two of orange flower water (be careful, it can be overpowering; a little goes a long way). Taste for balance and seasoning. Carefully toss the beets in a bowl with half the vinaigrette and a sprinkling of salt and pepper.

Place one-third of the beets on six chilled plates, loosely in a random pattern. Continue arranging the oranges, mint and remaining beets, layering the ingredients, letting them intertwine but not not pile up on one another too much. You should have a beautiful, natural looking mosaic effect. Spoon the rest of the vinaigrette over the salads and sprinkle a few drops of orange flower water over each one.

Grilled Flank Steak with Creamy Horseradish Beets, Sauteed Beet Greens and Farro

This could work very well as a vegetarian menu as the grilled flank steak could be easily ommitted. The Farro makes this a decidedly non-local menu, but Elizabeth had mentioned a local Farro Source, that I’ve since forgotten.

Total time: 3 Hours
Active time: 1 Hour
Servings: 6

Beets
8 medium beets with green tops
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup lowfat Greek-style yogurt
1/3 cup freshly grated horseradish
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced shallot

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the greens off the beets, leaving about half an inch of the stems attached. (Save the leaves for sauteeing later.) Clean four the beets well, and toss them with 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 teaspoon salt. Reserve 4 additional beets for another use. As an alternative, you could purchase red swiss chard and four beets in order to yield enough greens for this recipe.

Place the beets in a roasting pan with a splash of water in the bottom. Cover tightly with foil and roast about 40 minutes, until tender when pierced. (The roasting time will depend on the size and type of the beet.)
When the beets are done, carefully remove the foil. Let them cool , then peel them by slipping off the skins with your fingers. Cut the beets into a rough one-quarter to one-half inch dice.

Whisk yogurt, horseradish, lemon juice, and minced shallot in a medium bowl. Add beets and toss to coat. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Let stand at room temperature at least twenty minutes. Can be made 2 hours ahead and left to stand at room temperature.

While the steak is cooking, heat remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large, heavy bottomed skillet over medium high heat. Add reserved beet greens ; saute until wilted, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and let stand 3 minutes.

Flank Steak
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1/2 pound flank steak
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
nonstick spray

Whisk 2 tablespoons olive oil, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire Sauce, chopped rosemary, minced garlic, and ground black pepper in a glass dish large enough to hold the steak. Add steak; turn to coat. Cover and chill at least one hour and up to two hours.

Spray grill rack with nonstick spray. Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Remove steak from marinade. Season with salt and pepper. Grill steak to desired doneness, about five minutes per side for medium rare. Remove from grill and allow to rest for 5 – 10 minutes.

Farro
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 shallot, minced
1 1/2 cups semi-pearled Farro
3 cups good quality chicken stock, preferably homemade

Heat oil in a heavy bottomed, small sauce pan over medium high heat. When oil is hot but not smoking, add shallots and cook until they are transluscent, about six minutes. Add Farro and saute for another 2-3 minutes until all of the wheat is coated with oil.

Add chicken stock, bring to a boil, season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 20 – 25 minutes until the Farro is tender and all of the liquid has been absorbed.

To serve, slice steak thinly, crosswise (against the grain). Place a bed of Farro on each plate, then add beat greens and steak slices. Cover everything with the creamy horseradish beats, which make the most incredible pink, purple and red accent to the dish.