People often ask me how I decide to put together ingredients to make a dish that may seem a little off the beaten path. Simple answer - if fennel and cucumber both go with dill, then it is more than likely, in my experience, that fennel and cucumber will also go well together.
Beets go with dill. Cucumber goes with dill. Beet borscht with grated cucumber and dill is divine.
Below is very simple recipe for light summer fare using beets and cucumber and if you really are adventuresome, fennel.
BT's Summer Salad Of Beet And Cucumber
Ingredients:
4 large or 6 medium beets of different colors
4 medium or 8 small Israeli cucumbers
1 small fennel bulb (optional)
3 small sprigs dill or fennel fronds
1 whole red chili
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic
1 sprig fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon honey (optional)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 lemon
ground black pepper
Directions:
Scrub beets well
Peel beets and quarter
Place beets, chili, and garlic in baking dish
Sprinkle with 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Place thyme on top of beets
Roast at 400 F. (200 C.) for 35-40 minutes
Remove and let rest for 15 minutes
Discard thyme and chili
Slice beets in two
Slice cucumber (and fennel if using) into very fine pieces
Fine dice dill or fennel frond
Juice lemon and zest
Add beets, cucumbers, fennel (if using ) and herbs in a bowl
Mix remaining olive oil, remaining salt, lemon juice, zest
Dress vegetables with olive oil mixture
Add several grinds of black pepper
Enjoy! !בתיאבון
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