One week from today – Saturday, September 14, 2013 – is Scandinavia Day at the Midtown Farmers Market, which is located in Minneapolis on E. Lake Street at 22nd Avenue S. Ingebretsen’s will be there and contributing to the day’s festivities with, among other activities, a knitting demo and beeswax candles.
In the store and on our website, Ingebretsen’s sells many wonderful Scandinavian-inspired cookbooks, as well as locally-written gems, such as Minnesota’s Bounty – The Farmers Market Cookbook by Beth Dooley.
Here is a just a small taste of what this colorful and informative cookbook has to offer. This recipe was chosen because pickled root vegetables, especially beets, are very popular in Scandinavia and they just so happen to be available right now at many farmers markets.
Pickled Beets and Red Onions
Serves 4 to 6 or makes 2 pints
There’s nothing better for a cold platter of meat or a cheese tray than these magenta, ginger-spiked beets.
20 baby beets, trimmed
2 medium red onions, peeled and cut into thin slices
2 tablespoons honey
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons salt
3 slices fresh ginger
2/3 cup water
In a large pot of rapidly boiling salted water, cook the beets until they are tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and peel.
In a large saucepan, stir together the onions, honey, vinegar, salt, ginger, and water. Bring to a boil over high heat, and then simmer for about 5 minutes.
Pour the hot marinade over the beets, and allow to cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate for several hours before serving. (There’s no need to refrigerate the beets if you are going to can them.)
To preserve the beets, prepare a stockpot or canner and 2 pint jars (see page 51).
Put the beets, onions, and marinade into the hot, sterilized jars, leaving 1/2 inch of head-space. Wipe the jar rims, center the lids on the jars, and screw on the bands until they are just finger tight.
Process the jars for 10 minutes in enough boiling water to cover the jars by 1 inch. Turn off the heat, remove the canner lid, and allow the jars to stand in the hot water for 5 minutes before removing them. Cool the jars for at least 12 hours before storing them in a cool, dark place.
The preceding recipe is taken from p. 77 of Minnesota’s Bounty – The Farmers Market Cookbook by Beth Dooley. It is printed here with permission of University of Minnesota Press.
We would be thrilled to have you join us at the Midtown Farmers Market and hope that this recipe has inspired you to try it out at home! However, if you love beets but don’t have the patience and/or desire to make them yourself, Ingebretsen’s Meat Market sells pickled beets year-round.