Golden Beet, Vodka, + Rosemary Cocktail

Golden Beet, Vodka, + Rosemary Cocktail | A Thought For Food

We're a gin household. Well, and bourbon. And rum. Ok, and tequila and mezcal. Pretty much all forms of wine and spirits are welcome. That is, however, except for vodka. We've always had a bottle in the cabinet, but I don't remember the last time it's been put to use. But here we are with a vodka cocktail. And it's one that I quite enjoyed preparing (and, of course, consuming). It all started with an offer from Prairie Organic Spirits to see if I'd like to try a sample. Well, yes, I was up for giving it a go. Even before it arrived, I knew the direction I wanted to take the drink in. Years ago, friends/bartenders of mine put together a beet cocktail that totally impressed me. You think that beets, with their strong earthy (read: dirty) notes, especially in their raw/juiced form, wouldn't do well in a cocktail. When paired with lemon juice and a touch of sweetness, however, the whole thing came to life.

Golden Beet, Vodka, + Rosemary Cocktail | A Thought For Food

Golden Beet, Vodka, + Rosemary Cocktail | A Thought For Food

Golden Beet, Vodka, + Rosemary Cocktail | A Thought For Food

That one was a red beet cocktail, but seeing that we only had golden beets in our fridge, I went with those. I got the juicer going and out came a beautiful yellow liquid. Finished off with some lemon juice and rosemary simple syrup, there are some really bright and rich flavors here. While the vodka doesn't stand out, I'm not sure any other spirit would do as well paired with those ingredients.There's a bit more creaminess to this vodka than you find in others, which gives a little body to the drink. Yes, it's neutral. But in this case, that's a good thing.

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Beet, Lemon, Rosemary and Vodka Cocktail

Yield 1 cocktail

Equipment
Juicer (to prepare the beet juice)
Jigger
Cocktail shaker

Ingredients
For the cocktail
3/4 oz golden (or red) beet juice
1 oz lemon juice
1/2 oz rosemary simple syrup (ingredients and recipe below)
2 oz vodka (I used Prairie Organic Vodka)

Directions

1. Add the beet juice, lemon juice, rosemary simple syrup and vodka into a cocktail shaker, along with three or four ice cubes. Shake for 15 seconds and strain into a coup or martini glass.

Rosemary Simple Syrup

Ingredients
1 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons rosemary, chopped

Directions 1. Bring sugar and water to a boil in a small sauce pan.  Add the rosemary.  Simmer until the sugar has dissolved.  Take off heat and let the mixture sit for an additional 10 minutes before straining.  Strain the rosemary out of the simple syrup. Let the syrup cool completely before using. Store in a container in the refrigerator for up to a month.

Warm Pointed Cabbage with Lemon-Garlic Cashew Dressing

Warm Pointed Cabbage with Lemon-Garlic Cashew Dressing | A Thought For Food

My cooking style, I've come to realize, is free-form. I prefer to let the ingredients, specifically what I already have in the fridge and pantry, direct me. This is where the magic happens. How fun it is to watch a random assortment of items turn into a flavorful dish. These often aren't planned, just things that I whip together.

The remains of our food coop produce result in the most interesting creations. I wasn't quite sure where I was going when I pulled the pointed cabbage out of the fridge. As I studied it, I was reminded of a warm romaine salad we had in New Orleans that left us wowed.  As I quartered the cabbage, I realized that I could play off this idea. The cast iron skillet came out (yup, I used the stove despite it being a whopping 92 degrees outside). After a light drizzle of oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper, they were charred on each side. I let them simmer on the stove, covered, while I put the cashew dressing together (my first go at it... and I'm hooked). It couldn't hurt to serve this alongside some grilled meat or fish, but to keep things a bit lighter (who wants to eat heavy food in this heat?), I put together a platter of grilled vegetables and that, along with a bottle of rosé, made for a truly satisfying summer dinner.

Warm Pointed Cabbage with Lemon-Garlic Cashew Dressing | A Thought For Food

Warm Pointed Cabbage with Lemon-Garlic Cashew Dressing | A Thought For Food

Warm Pointed Cabbage with Lemon-Garlic Cashew Dressing | A Thought For Food

Warm Pointed Cabbage Salad with Lemon-Garlic Cashew Dressing

Yield 4 servings

Equipment
Blender or immersion blender
Cast-iron skillet (or grill)

Ingredients
For the cabbage
1 head pointed cabbage, outer leaves removed
Olive oil
Salt
Black pepper

For the dressing
1/2 cup unsalted cashews
Juice of 1/2 lemon juice
1 garlic clove, chopped
10 parsley leaves
1 tsp kosher salt
Water

Chopped cashews
Black pepper

Directions
1. Place the cashews into a mixing bowl and pour boiling water over them. Let sit for thirty minutes.

2. Cut the cabbage into quarters lengthwise so that the leaves remain attached to the core. Rub lightly with olive oil, about a tablespoon's worth.

3. Set a large cast iron skillet (or heat a grill) over high heat. Preheat for a minute or two before placing the cabbage wedges into the pan. Flip over each piece to allow the cabbage to char evenly on each side. Season with salt and cover skillet with a large lid and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for another 8-10 minutes, or until tender. Make sure to use an oven mitt to pick up the pan and lid... it will be very hot.

4. While this is cooking, drain the cashews of the liquid and transfer to a blender, along with the lemon juice, minced garlic, parsley, and salt (alternatively, an immersion blender can be used). Blend until it forms a thick mixture. Slowly pour in water until you've reached your desired consistency (I liked it a little thicker, which included about 1/4 cup water). Taste for seasoning and, if necessary, add a little salt.

5. Transfer cooked cabbage to a serving platter and spoon dressing over each wedge, followed by the chopped cashew. Sprinkle additional salt and freshly ground black pepper on top before serving.

Charred Corn and Mango Salsa + Plantain Chips

Charred Corn and Mango Salsa + Plantain Chips // A Thought For Food

Wait. What? How are we already approaching the end of July? I'm pretty sure it was May yesterday. And didn't we just have snow on the ground? Can we just slow things down a bit? Maybe there's been a bit too much running around these last few weeks. There was the trip to the Berkshires, followed by some time in New Jersey/New York, which went directly into a couple days on the Cape. All good, fun stuff, but, at the same time, it's all a little exhausting. Our lives slow down a bit over the next few weeks. There are plenty of projects to work on, but not as much travel. Just some Cape-time, reading, swimming, boating. Simple, quiet activities.

Charred Corn and Mango Salsa + Plantain Chips // A Thought For Food

Charred Corn and Mango Salsa + Plantain Chips // A Thought For Food

Charred Corn and Mango Salsa + Plantain Chips // A Thought For Food

Charred Corn and Mango Salsa + Plantain Chips // A Thought For Food

After all the back and forth, it was great to get into the kitchen and work on some recipes I've had in my head for quite a while. Corn is my summer obsession. Even more than tomatoes or asparagus or berries, I can't get enough corn. The thing is that I really don't like eating it on the cob and would much rather shave the kernels into a salad. The inspiration for this salsa came from my father-in-law. With my adaptation, I gave it the summer treatment by charring the corn, giving it some added flavor and texture. A good amount of spice comes from the habanero Tabasco. This stuff doesn't just have a kick... it burns. But in a good way. It's something to think about as your seasoning the salsa.

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Tabasco. Over the course of the year, I will be creating recipes featuring the Tabasco Family of Flavors and this is the first of those posts. All opinions expressed on my site are my own.

You can check out my recap from my trip to visiting Tabasco here and my recipes for Smokey Shrimp Burgers and a Watermelon Shrub Spritzer.

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Charred Corn and Mango Salsa + Plantain Chips

Notes The corn can also be prepared on a grill by removing the husk and grilling the corn kernels until charred.

Yield
Serves 6 as an appetizer

Ingredients
For the salsa
4 ears corn
1 mango, peeled and cut into 1/4" cubes
Olive oil
1 teaspoon habanero Tabasco (or more depending on desired amount of spice)
1/8 cup chopped red onion
1 teaspoon chopped cilantro
Juice of one lime
Salt

For the plantain chips
3 plantains, peeled and sliced 1/16" lengthwise (using a vegetable peeler or a mandoline) Vegetable oil (I used safflower oil)
Salt

Directions

For the salsa
1. Preheat a large caste iron skillet (or pan) on the stove over medium-high heat for three minutes. Add two tablespoons of olive oil to the skillet. Once heated, add the corn kernels and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the kernels have charred. Remove from heat.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk together habanero Tabasco, cilantro, and lime juice. Add corn, mango, and red onion. Season with salt.

For the plantain chips
1. Pour vegetable oil in a large, deep saucepan so it comes up 2 inches. Heat the oil to 375 degrees F.

2. Cook the plantain slices in batches, carefully lowering the plantain into the oil. Cook until crispy, approximately 1 minutes. Line a plate with two layers of paper towels. Transfer plantain chips to the paper towel and season with salt. Serve with corn and mango salsa