5 Spice Poached Pear and Beet Salad

It's freezing here in Kale Eats country and I wouldn't have it any other way!  Think I've lost my marbles?  Let me explain.  Our backyard is home to a large ice rink, lovingly built and maintained by Don, year after year.  In fact, I think this is our seventh year with a rink of some sort.  While this sounds very quaint and idyllic, the reality is both hard work (done entirely by Don) and a lot of worrying (also done entirely by Don).  Will it be cold enough to freeze?  Is there a leak in the liner?  Is the ground level enough that the water doesn't need to be too deep?  Friends, this is my entire winter.  The weather channel is constantly being checked, with the long range forecast a beholden sight.  Should Mother Nature alter her course, it's possible swearing occurs.

Arugula, Rutabaga Barley Salad with Hazelnuts

Congratulations to Sarah on winning the giveaway for my 100th post!  Please be in touch with an address for me to mail the cookbook to you.  (random.org did the selecting)  Thanks to those of you who left a message and to the many who visited, but didn't comment.  I can't wait to see what the next 100 posts will bring.  Something tells me it will continue to include lots of salads like this one.  Rutabaga might not be your first choice for a salad topper, but you'd be surprised just how good it is.  Tossed with a little maple syrup the sweetness plays nicely against the peppery arugula.  The second go around I put some salty feta on top.  Although not pictured it was the perfect addition.

Jerusalem Parsley and Barley Salad

Every once in awhile a cookbook comes along that can truly change your perspective on food.  For me, that cookbook was Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi.  Not that this is an original or even surprising idea.  His take on vegetables pretty much took the culinary world by storm, with multiple accolades and awards.  When I heard that he had teamed up with Sami Tamimi to create a new book I crossed my fingers that it would be just as amazing.  Folks: these men do not disappoint.

Seedy Carrot & Beet Slaw

I was out for dinner with a group of women the other night at a local restaurant.  The focus of the menu is local, fresh and healthy so I was not surprised to see beets incorporated in an appetizer.  One of the people with me said “what is a beet? is it a root plant? how is it grown?”  I was so surprised to hear someone unfamiliar with such a classic Ontario vegetable.  Discussion ensued among all the guests about favourite recipes and how to best prepare.  When I mentioned how much I like raw beets the entire table stated they had never heard of such a thing.  We often enjoy raw beets in different salads but this is one of my favourites.  It’s a simple one, but very satisfying with few ingredients and few calories.

Beet Fennel Grapefruit Sandwich

We are heading out to one of my most favourite places in Ontario this week: Killarney Park.  It will be a blissful five days of no phones, screens or contact with the outside world.  Packing food that will last in the wilderness without refrigeration is a wonderful challenge.  We usually try to eat as many veggies as we can the first few days as it gets tougher each day out to keep them fresh.