Planning a Sweetheart Meal with Local Ingredients

By BEEWENCH FARM for Morro Bay Life

For local farmers, February is exciting. The weather is starting to warm up and it’s time to start thinking about all the fruits and veggies to start growing for spring.

This month you can find almost anything that you are looking for at your local farmer’s market. There should be plenty of winter season veggies such as kale, broccoli, cabbage, lettuce, celery, and beets to name a few. Artichokes and asparagus will start appearing this month. We are in the middle of citrus season, so make sure to add Meyer lemons, mandarin oranges, kiwis, kumquats, and grapefruits to your list. Not only are they delicious, but fresh citrus will boost your immune system with some vitamin C.

Valentine’s Day is coming, so make plans now to get the best ingredients for a delicious meal with your sweetheart. Our Morro Bay farmer’s markets on Thursday afternoon and Saturday offer a variety of produce and locally raised meats to make a truly stunning meal.

Create a charcuterie board for your special someone or treat your whole family to a special Valentine’s Day board to enjoy. Visit Stepladder Creamery or Vintage Cheese Company for some amazing cheese, get some honey from California Bee Co, bread from one of our amazing vendors, some strawberries from Hayashi Farms, and edible flowers from GreenLove Elixir Bar. GreenLove Elixir Bar also has truffles, bath salts, and love potion infused chocolate bars for a sweet treat.

Don’t forget the flowers. There are always beautiful fresh flowers available at any farmer’s market. Valentine’s Day lands on a Tuesday this year, so if you really want some fresh produce and flowers, check out the Baywood market on Monday. FarmerMaid Flowers should be there with beautiful arrangements of locally grown flowers.

Winter Beet and Citrus Salad

This salad brings together caramelized roasted beets, creamy goat cheese, salty roasted pistachios, creamy avocado, and tangy citrus in a simple orange-honey vinaigrette. Not only is everything about this delicious, but the red beets are perfect for Valentine’s day. This salad pairs well with any main protein dish, but I especially like to have this with a nice pork chop. You can find almost everything you need for this recipe at your local farmer’s market.

Ingredients:

Salad

• 7 cups mixed greens (approximately one bunch of spinach and a large head of lettuce)

• 1 large avocado

• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

• 1/3 cup lightly salted and roasted pistachios or walnuts, coarsely chopped

• 3-4 mandarin oranges, peeled and segmented

• crumbled goat cheese, add to preference (~1/3 cup)

Roasted Beets

2-3 (1 lb) whole beets

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Fine sea salt & freshly cracked pepper

Dressing

• 1/4 cup orange juice freshly squeezed

2 teaspoons orange zest

• 1 and 1/2 tablespoons honey

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

• 1/2 tablespoon poppy seeds

Instructions

Roast Beets

• Preheat oven to 375°F.

• Wash beets under cold water and cut off the top and bottom. Cut beets in half and toss with olive oil, salt & pepper.

• Lay out a large piece of tinfoil. Wrap and seal beets. (Or place beets in a greased baking dish and cover).

• Roast the foil package for 1 hour or until beets are tender when poked with a fork.

Once cooled to touch, using rubber gloves or paper towels, rub the beets and the skins will just slide right off.

Cut into 1/2 – ¾ inch cubes

Dressing

While beets are roasting, prepare the dressing. Combine all the dressing ingredients in a jar with a lid. Close tightly and shake well until combined. Taste and adjust any flavors to personal preference.

Salad Assembly

• Place the lettuce in a large bowl or on a platter. Peel and segment the oranges; add to salad. Chop the avocado into small pieces (or thin slices) and toss with lemon juice. Add to the lettuce.

• Drizzle dressing to preference. (You may not want to use all the dressing. Leftover dressing will stay good for up to a week in an airtight container in the fridge.)

• Sprinkle the chopped pistachios and crumbled goat cheese over top.

Recipe Notes

If making this salad ahead of time, keep the lettuce, the dressing, and all the veggies and toppings separate. Toss together right before enjoying.

Do not toss the salad with the dressing until ready to use. This