beet yogurt

This is a post about beet yogurt. It's sort of taken my winter by storm.

Theres a lot I don't share with you here because I don't have time, or because it doesn't fit into the context of a larger metaphor-driven chapter laced with melancholy and sarcasm. Don't want to get your hopes up, this is just about yogurt with beets grated into it. But it occurs to me that I could start to share more of the little riches that we enjoy here at Saipua. That I could post more frequently the snapshots of beauty or delicious lunches that happen between the Brooklyn studio and Worlds End. That the blog can serve as an archive; and that I could spend a little more time pulling down all those clippings and debris of life that are caught in the tornado that is saipua.

Ideally this looser, shorter format will help me focus on finishing the saipua book which so many of you loving people are cheering for; thank you for that.



So onward to lunch;

Since I met her, every food idea I have stems from Samin. So let the record show, this was her doing. She was at the farm, and in her way of avoiding her own book project, decided to make use of every last old and moldy vegetable in my larder. [Larder, in this instance referring to the hand-me-down refridgerator that exists down in the basement next to a rack of salted sheep pelts buzzing with the occasional fat cluster fly.]



She procured a few wrinkled red beets. Beets are for childen; they seem always too sweet for me. I prefer bitter vegetables. This might not surprise you. So the beet yogurt she manifested that day was not of particular interest to me. Until I tried it on roasted squash with black tahini dressing. And then on practically everything else I've eaten since.

I especially like it with roasted cauliflower which I did with cumin seeds and chili flakes in cast iron on the grill. Fresh majoram on top with nigella seeds. Also really good with roasted carrots and onions. I make a kale salad with black tahini dressing, put those carrots on top with some sesame oil fried eggs. Beet yogurt.

BEET YOGURT FOR ALL OCCASIONS

1 cup full fat greek yogurt like FAGE or whatever brand you like

1 tsp salt

2 tablespoons of cider vinegar or lemon juice

1 small grated beet

1 clove of grated garlic (optional)

Mix together.

Keep for up to 1 week.

 I'm in George Bush International airport in Houston typing this right now. Feeling really far away from the farm and missing my border collie Ziggy. Spent last week working with her everyday, tied her to my waste with a rope. It takes a while to train a sheep dog.

Where I am going there are a lot of sheep, a lot of wool: Oaxaca for a week long creative research residency called Pocoapoco. I am focusing on plant intelligence and the zodiac.