I got the beets!

I went out to my garden today and VOILA! Beets, carrots and my spirally special broccoli is turning into broccoli!

I had to thin the beets a bit and I picked most of the carrots that were ready, it's super exciting and I get so joyous. I made a Thai salad out of the garden, and I only used veggies from the garden. I also pulled up my Bordeaux spinach as it's getting leggy and trying to bolt, anyhow, I'm not super impressed with it, though it is fun to eat purple spinach. I think the New Zealand spinach is less likely to bolt, but not as big. Hmm.


Let's talk about this recipe before I give it to you. I have a confession to make. I rarely measure anything. Even when I can (I mean put things in jars), because you don't have to have 'the right amount of' sugar, just a hostile bacteria environment (created by three things: sugar, salt and acid -- ooh and alcohol!). I bake without measuring a lot, I use cups as a way to transfer 'enough' flour. I have to say that I don't know how much oil, vinegar, mustard or seasoning I ever use to make mayonnaise, except for like eggs (easy to count). So the sad, sad truth is that I don't know how much of anything I put into my marinades or salads. Like this one. Here is what I say to you, you need to put in what you think is a good amount, and I'll tell you about how much, but you should be using your taste buds as you go along here. I make guesses and try to come close for you, but you need to use discretion. You don't like garlic? Don't put so much in! And BTW if you don't like garlic there is something wrong with you; seek professional help. So in this recipe I'm going to use my normal measurements. Good luck!


Ingredients for two:
salad type things
2 good sized wads of roast chicken - no bones, chopped
a spoon of peanut butter
a splash of soy sauce
a couple small spoons of sugar
some brown rice vinegar
a lidfull of ginger juice
a small spoon of minced garlic - I pre-mince and keep in a jar.
a small tip out of the jar of red chili flakes
a pinch of (GASP) MSG

Method:
Set up your salad things - I used two heads of a small type of butter lettuce, some Persian carrots, yellow and Egyptian Flat beets steamed together for a bit, beet greens, red beard green onions and the shells from some sweet peas that I had shelled- Mix everything else in a bowl but the chicken. Taste it. Is it good? does it need adjustment? Remember that there's gonna be onion on the salad. There isn't? you better fix that. Mix in chicken and place a ball of chicken on top of your salad things. Now everyone will think that you're amazing, cooking without measuring and all.