Hello beautiful readers. This past week was a BIG one…not that anything particularly momentous happened, it just took a lot out of me. The weight of the week had a lot to do with me scrambling to figure out how to function without my smartphone. I realize this is an incredibly first-world problem, but it was the focal point of at least a day or two.
If you asked me how dependent I was on my phone BEFORE it was gone I would have said “low to medium” but my post-phone reality has revealed to me that I fit more comfortably in the “medium to moderately high” bracket. Because complaining about my fancy iPhone being broken seems possibly unflattering and definitely a bit bratty, I shall digress, but I wanted to let you know what was going on in my world. It’s not all sticky buns and runny egg yolks (although they were there too).
What’s the silver lining here? Well perhaps it’s relearning to keep things simple. I am totally inclined to stop at the end of a recipe and then add six more ingredients. I sometimes cannot leave well enough alone. Gild the lily I say! But sometimes things are good just as they are – or with only a few, well-curated additions. So this week as I continue to navigate life sans phone, I’ll think about doing more with less and making the most out of what I have. Today I have carrots and beets.
These are simple. They highlight the natural sweetness of the carrot and the earthiness of the beets. The dipping sauce adds just the right amount of interest to something that otherwise could come off as one note, but both are incredibly easy to pull together and the payoff is incredible. I hope you try them and remember that life without all the bells and whistles is still pretty great. Happy Monday!
Carrot and Beet Fritters
Servings: 15 – 20 FRITTERS Time: 35 MINUTES
These lacy fritters are light and crisp on the outside with a soft chew in the middle. The natural sweetness of the carrot and beet are perfect with the vivid tang of the herbed goat cheese dip. I love these as an appetizer of course, but they are also amazing at breakfast with fried eggs.
3 medium carrots
2 small to medium beets
2 T flour
2 T cornstarch
¼ tsp cumin
½ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
3 T vegetable oil (any neutral oil will do)
Grate carrots on the largest holes of a box grater and place in a large bowl. Set aside.
Grate beets on the largest holes of a box grater. Wrap beets in a dishtowel (one you don’t mind staining) or a few layers of paper towels and squeeze as much liquid out of the beets as you can.
Add beet to the bowl with the carrots and add the rest of the ingredients, expect the oil.
*Don’t make this mixture too far in advance. The salt with leech more moisture out of the beets, making your fritters gummy instead of crisp.
Heat oil in a non-stick or cast iron skillet over medium heat until the oil begins to shimmer and easily coats the bottom of the pan.
Add about 2 tablespoons of the fritter mixture to the hot oil and pat down to make a thin patty, about 3 inches across. Make sure to keep at least an inch of space between each fritter.
Fry each fritter for about 3 minutes per side, or until slightly crisp and browned.
Transfer fritters to a paper towel lined baking sheet in and keep warm in a 250° oven, while you finish frying the rest.
Serve with herbed goat cheese sauce (recipe below)
Herbed Goat Cheese Sauce
Servings: 1 CUP Time: 10 MINUTES
Don’t feel obligated to use mint and dill if you have parsley or chives hanging around – any leafy green herb will be delicious. I would shy away from anything woodsy like rosemary, sage or thyme though. This sauce is great on roasted chicken, poached salmon or use it as a dip for fresh veggies.
½ C plain or Greek style yogurt
2 ounces soft goat cheese
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp finely chopped mint
2 tsp finely chopped dill
Kosher salt
Ground black pepper
Combine yogurt, goat cheese, lemon juice and herbs in a small bowl, making sure goat cheese is thoroughly mixed in. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve.
