Roasted Beet Appetizer with Gorgonzola and Pickled Red Onions

A vibrant vegetarian way to start a meal, this recipe combines tender roasted beet cubes with tangy pickled onions and gorgonzola cheese. Add a bit of pistachio for crunch and your meal is off to a memorable start!

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I'm trying a new tactic to encourage my family to eat the beets from our Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm share--small plates. I'm sure it's old hat to many folks, but it's a new idea for me. I mixed up a batch of this roasted beet appetizer and, instead of having folks help themselves like I usually do, I put a couple of tablespoons each into a few of my Polish pottery ramekins. These are the perfect size for a snack of trail mix of cheez its [though if you're having the Extra Toasty kind those things are like CRACK and you'll actually burn some calories jumping up off the couch to refill your little dish every few minutes].  If you've got little dishes that hold about 4 ounces (half a cup), and less adventurous eaters--give this method a try.

When I get beets in the farm share, I quickly perform Vegetable Triage on them. I cut off the greens first, if they are present. I constantly crave Sautéed Beet Greens and make that for breakfast/brunch whenever I have access to beet greens. Once the greens are removed, the beets can hang out in the crisper drawer for at least a week. This is a Good Thing when you're overwhelmed with life and aren't really prioritizing using up the fresh produce. If you've got space, you can even freeze roasted beets for several months. They come out very soft, so freeze them whole and handle gently if you'd like them to retain a cube shape. If you do plan to mash them, say, to make Cocoa Beet Chocolate Chip Muffins, then you'll be just fine with freezing/thawing roasted beets.

Roasted Delicata Squash with Parmesan and Pepper--with Barber Foods

Cubes of tender delicata squash roasted with fresh garlic and spices then topped with Parmesan cheese makes an easy and colorful side dish to celebrate Fall.

This post is sponsored by Barber Foods. I bought my ingredients and Barber Foods paid me for my time to create this recipe.

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I'm glad to feel a chill in the mornings now that Fall is here--it makes me happy to turn on the oven so I can convert the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm share produce into new and delightful dishes for my family [and new ideas for you!]. For us folks who eat seasonally, the change of season provides a change in the contents of the farm share box--a return of greens plus the arrival of winter squashes in all their glory. The farmer's markets and grocery stores are brimming with gorgeous piles of squash, too.


Winter squash is one of the best parts of joining a CSA farm share. Because these squash can be stored in a cool dry place for months, you can be eating locally grown produce well into the winter. I've even cracked open a butternut squash in April! This is one way I feed my family local produce all year long. I turn a basket-lined bookcase in the basement into the Strategic Winter Squash Reserve, and each week I add all the squash and potatoes from the farm share.  I walk past the SWSR while I'm doing laundry, so it's easy to keep an eye on things.

I feel fortunate I'm getting lots of delicata squash this year. Unlike the other winter squash varieties, the skin on a delicata is edible. That means I get those pretty green and orange stripes on my plate! The first way I ever prepared delicata squash was Alanna's Delicata Squash with Hot Pepper Glaze, and it was a nice spicy change on my Thanksgiving table. Lately I'd been eyeing my delicata hoard and thinking that this roasted dish, with cheese and a bit of a kick, would be a good side dish this Fall. I seem to concentrate on the sides, since I'm always trying to use up all my fresh local produce, and the entrees become an afterthought.

Purple Sweet Potato Muffins with Caramel and Streusel #MuffinMonday

These candy-sweet muffins start with vibrantly-hued purple sweet potatoes coloring a sturdy oatmeal base. With caramel chips inside, and streusel on top, this is a sweet treat that's pretty to eat.

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One of the perennially fun aspects of being a part of a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm share is the ever-revolving door to new produce. Each year I discover new varieties of vegetables and fruits, new favorites, new 'must-haves', and yes, new . . . . 'what is this and what do I do with it?' items.

When you get a new color of an old favorite, like sweet potatoes, you can just have fun. No need to invent uses for an unfamiliar vegetable. Instead, I can play with colors--like I did with my Purple and Orange Overnight Sweet Potato Pecan Monkey Bread or my purple, green, and golden Mardi Gras Braided Bread.

For this month's Muffin Monday recipe I got creative with some purple sweet potatoes from the farm share. I wanted a wholesome base, so I started by soaking rolled oats in vanilla yogurt similar to my standard overnight oat muffin recipe (my 4th post ever!). I wanted a decadent muffin so I used some softened butter in the batter. I wanted something that could be deliciously sweet for a morning coffee, so I tossed in some caramel chips to the batter. Finally, I wanted something that reminded me a bit of sweet potato casserole, so I topped the muffins with streusel topping.

If you get colorful veggies and want to play around with them--guess what? Your freezer is your friend. In addition to being long-storing like onions and white potatoes, cooked sweet potatoes also freeze well. Once thawed, you can use them in a myriad of ways to add moisture, color, and flavor to baked goods.