Soon I will have to hack my way in
Let the harvest begin.
I feel like a contestant from “Chopped” opening my basket of secret ingredients.
Let’s see, today we have: garlic, cucumber, green onion, turnip, potatoes and one small beet. What can I make from that?
How about Roasted New Potatoes with Roasted Garlic topped with a Fresh Cucumber-Beet-Turnip Salad.
Roasted Potatoes & Garlic: Preheat oven to 425. Wash and chop the potatoes into bite-size chunks. Put them into a bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and roasted Hungarian paprika. Spray oil onto a cookie sheet and then place the potatoes on top in a single layer. Chop top and bottom off the garlic and baste with olive oil and then put it inside a pouch you make of aluminum foil and place it on the cookie sheet.
Cook for 40 minutes or more until the cut sides of the potatoes are crispy. Turn them over about half-way through. Keep checking the garlic - it should be ready about the same time, depending on size.
Fresh Cucumber-Beet-Turnip Salad: Cut cucumber and remove seeds if numerous. If the skin is thick, you can peel it, otherwise grate the cucumber with the skin on. Salt lightly and set aside for a few minutes to remove some of the water. Grate half of a small turnip and one small beet. Remember to squeeze the cucumber until it is relatively dry, then mix with the beet and turnip, as well as a teaspoon or two of a good olive oil and red wine vinegar. Chop some scallions and sprinkle on top.
Mix the potatoes with some of the roasted garlic. Make a bed of the potatoes and dollop the salad alongside.
Variations: I would add some mint if I had remembered to grow some. And you can add yogurt or sour cream mixed with a little rice vinegar for a cool and refreshing variation on the theme.
Am I chopped?
