Beet Hummus

My love affair with beets is no quiet romp in the hay--and with BF Kef gone for a little vacay of his own, I don't even have to hide my extracurricular activities.  The beets and I have gotten hot and heavy, and this little lovechild has popped up to play.

Today we're working with golden beets, ginger, and yogurt, all of which come together to make a delicious dip with all the consistency of hummus but none of the spelling confusion. Enjoy!


Golden Beet "Hummus" Dip

Ingredients 
- 3 med golden beets, peeled, and chopped (without greens)
- 2 tsp garam masala
- 1.5 inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated
- 1/4-1/2 c yogurt (fage best, everything else ok)
- olive oil as needed


Assembly  
1. Preheat oven to 350. Toss chopped beets, ginger, with olive oil. Loosely wrap in tin foil in a single layer.  Cook until beets are soft all the way through, about 20-30 minutes.
2. Allow beets to cool. Puree in a food processor with yogurt until smooth, adding olive oil to reach desired texture.
  

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Occupy the Grocery Store

Unless you've been living under a rock for the past year, you've probably heard by now that The Hellenic Republic has fallen on some hard times.  Part of this, undoubtedly, is due to the fact that MommaKef  is not there to stimulate the sale of $7 water shoes, SisterKef hasn't been buying sandals that hide her Athenian ankle tattoo, and Brother Kef and I have not been purchasing twice-daily Frappes (métrios for me, skétos for him). For this, we are sorry.

But mostly, it's because the global system has allowed a few to live large on the backs of many for decades (or centuries, or always, depending on who you ask), and it's caught up to all of us.  Those of you familiar with ChefKef know better than to get me started on the soap box of inequity. So today I bring you a simple, five-ingredient dish that will tickle your tastebuds without causing your own personal default.

NB: I'm trying to take my own pictures but I'm not good at it yet-- anyone have tips for getting good while-I'm-cooking pics?

Beet and Yogurt Salad

• 4 medium beets, skin on, don't bother washing
• 2 tbs olive oil, plus some for roasting beets
• 1.5 tbs apple cider vinegar (or white vinegar, or sherry)
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 c Greek yogurt (Fage seriously is best, but feel free to Occupy the Grocery Store and get the cheap kind)
• Fresh dill for garnish (TOTALLY optional- just a nice touch

 1. Preheat oven to 400. Cut off tops and bottoms of beets (as if you were peeling an onion). Grease bottom of a lipped baking pan with olive oil. Place beets on pan and roast for approximately 35 min, or until beet is soft all the way through.  For speedier cooking, cover the beets with foil (check on them at about 25 min and go from there).
2. When the beets are done, use an old dishcloth or something that is clean and you don't mind staining to pick up the beets one at a time and "plop" them out of their skin. Yes, "plop" is the culinary term.

3. Slice beets however you'd like- I happen to like cutting them along the sagittal and then coronal planes. But you do whatever you happen to find pretty.
4. Mix 2 tbs olive oil and vinegar together. Pour over beets.

5. While the beets are still hot, dice garlic and mix in too. Some people like to save this for the yogurt, but I like to let the heat of the beets cook in the garlic.
6. Let the beets marinate for 2-3 hours. Fridge or room temperature--no matter.

7. When you're ready to serve, pour some of the beet-marinade juice into the yogurt and stir.  Pour over your beets and serve.
8. If you're part of the 1% who got dill, now's the time to flaunt your wealth. Cut it up and throw it over the salad as garnish.

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