Laura Avery speaks to Willy Nuata of Rocky Canyon Produce.
Rocky Canyon is best known for their grass fed beef, but insiders know
that they have some of the tastiest yams in the market. They sell a
variety named Diane which has a very deep color and is super
creamy inside. They also have several varieties of squash and their
table looks like a harvest celebration.
If you haven't tried
their beef, you may be in for a treat. In addition to being certified
organic and grass fed, Rocky Canyon beef is dry-aged for up to 21 days,
a rarely practiced process that results in the loss of up to 20 percent
of the beef in the process. After dry aging, the outside of the beef
must be cut away to expose the tender, flavorful interior meat. The
beef products that remain are of exceptional quality and taste.
Laura also chats with Amelia Saltsman about pomegranates and she offers a delicious, easy way of preparing them.
Pomegranate and Orange-Glazed Beets
24 small beets, 1 to 2 inches in diameter, or 3 pounds larger beets, quartered
1 to 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup orange juice
1/3 cup pomegranate juice
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
2 to 3 tablespoons chopped toasted pistachios, optional
Preheat
oven to 400 degrees. If you haven¹t already, cut off the beet greens,
leaving 1 inch of stem attached to beets, and reserve for another use.
In a large baking dish, toss the beets with the olive oil and season
with salt and pepper. Cover pan and roast beets until almost tender
when pierced with a knife, about 30 minutes, shaking the pan once
during cooking
time. Uncover, shake the beets again, and roast
uncovered until tender, about 15 minutes more. When cool, peel the
beets using a paring knife (skins should come off easily). The beets
may be prepared 1 day ahead and refrigerated. Return them to room
temperature to finish the dish.
Pour the orange and pomegranate
juices into a large skillet set over medium-high heat, and cook until
juices are reduced by half and slightly syrupy, about 10 minutes. Add
the beets and a little salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium, and
cook the beets, frequently spooning the juices over them, until the
juices become a very thick syrup, 6 to 7 minutes. Stir in the
tablespoon of butter, reduce the heat as needed to keep the glaze from
browning, and stir constantly 1 to 2 minutes until the beets are richly
coated and the juices are a thick glaze. Add salt and pepper as needed.
Sprinkle with the pistachios.
Makes 6 servings.
Adapted from The Santa Monica Farmers' Market Cookbook (Blenheim Press, Spring 2007) by Amelia Saltsman.
Music Break: One Way Trip (Cool Version) - Pop Group from the new Dance Orchester