Tag Archives: Burgundy Wine

Pickled Beets With Rosemary And Burgundy Wine

Full-flavored, earthy beets pair with fresh rosemary and red wine.
Photo: Cynthia Dalton

One cloudy, still, Sunday afternoon, when I was about ten years old, my parents came home from a farmstand hunt with several bunches of ruby-colored beets with the most luscious leafy greens I had ever seen.

Mom and Dad were downright triumphant over their find. In tandem, they paddled around the kitchen, perfect partners, happily and meticulously washing and peeling those jewel-like orbs, and lovingly bathing the sand from the unfurling greenery.

Soon, the dreary day mattered not at all. It was replaced by the fascination aroused by a big pot, atop the stove, sporting onions, garlic, bacon fat, beets, and beet greens. In no time at all, the house was filled with a smoky, earthy, perfume I’ll never forget.

Some people won’t touch beets, and I’m sure it’s because they’ve never been ‘properly introduced.’ I was properly introduced. Dinner that night was a simple but sublime feast, deeply flavored, tasting of the earth and sun, and all things good and real. Crusty french bread, dipped in the pot-liquor that pooled in the bottom of our soup bowls was a treat almost better than chocolate, that I will never forget.

That night, all was right with the world, and beets, even canned beets, will always be near and dear to my heart.

So, needless to say,  I usually have beets around in one form or another. And, here’s how one recipe can lead to another.  I  recently shared with you my recipe for Lentil Soup With Burgundy Wine and I had some wine leftover. While retrieving something from my pantry, I spied a lone can of low-sodium sliced beets (of course) and my mind made the connection — some fresh rosemary from the garden and I was in business.

Enter pickled beets with rosemary and burgundy wine.

With their robust earthiness, these grapey, herby slices add a little something special to any salad that includes any combination of meats, cheeses, and egg.

Give these a try — I think you’ll like them! Let me know in the Comments section below.

Print Recipe
Pickled Beets With Rosemary And Burgundy Wine
Quick to prepare, these taste great almost immediately, but a rest in the refrigerator to chill them, makes them even better. If your beets are not low-sodium, take the salt level down to just a pinch — you can always add more later, but at least you won't over do it to start with. You can easily double this recipe, but I think of beets as a 'mood piece' so I kept the yield small. © The Working Lunch Project
Full-flavored, earthy beets pair with fresh rosemary and red wine.
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Course Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine French
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 4 minutes
Passive Time 3 hours
Servings
servings
Ingredients
Course Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine French
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 4 minutes
Passive Time 3 hours
Servings
servings
Ingredients
Full-flavored, earthy beets pair with fresh rosemary and red wine.
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
  1. In a medium saucepan, bring the first 4 ingredients to a simmer and allow to reduce slightly, approximately 2 minutes.
  2. Add beets and fresh rosemary sprigs to the pan and increase the heat to bring liquids back up to a simmer. Simmer for 2 minutes.
  3. Remove from heat, make sure all the beets are spread out flat enough in the bottom of the pan to drink up their brine. Cover partially, and allow to cool to room temperature.
  4. When the beets are room temperature, transfer to a glass container, cover, and chill 3 hours or longer, to allow flavors to mellow and meld. Use within 1 week.
Recipe Notes

Nutritional facts per serving:

82 calories

0g fat

219mg sodium

9g carbs

1g fiber

0g protein

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Lentil Soup With Burgundy Wine

 

Lentils and vegetables in a savory broth.
Photo: Cynthia Dalton

I’m happy that all the cold, rainy days here in usually sunny southern California is helping to end the brutal drought we’ve suffered from for far too long.

But, this weather has caused me to crave hearty soups. I recently shared my recipe for Spicy Bean Soup and now I’m back at it with this recipe for Lentil Soup With Burgundy Wine.

Aromatic vegetables, bacon, and red wine give this soup a pleasing depth of flavor, while the lentils give this soup protein and a healthy fiber boost.

I hope you enjoy this peasant dish with its earthy air!

Please use the Comments section below to tell me what you think of this recipe!

 

Print Recipe
Lentil Soup With Burgundy Wine
While delicious immediately, this soup tastes even better if it's prepared a day ahead. Don't be put off by the long list of ingredients, most of them are pantry items — most of the work is in preparing the vegetables and that goes pretty quickly. Start testing the doneness of the lentils after it simmers for 45 minutes — you want the lentils to have a slight bite left in them — mushy lentils just don't cut it! © The Working Lunch Project
Lentils and vegetables in a savory broth.
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:
Rate this recipe!
Course Lunch, Soup
Cuisine French
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45-60 minutes
Servings
servings
Ingredients
Course Lunch, Soup
Cuisine French
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45-60 minutes
Servings
servings
Ingredients
Lentils and vegetables in a savory broth.
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
  1. In a large pot over medium high heat, cook the bacon strips until browned and remove to a paper towel-lined plate, reserving the bacon fat in the pan, and leaving the heat on.
  2. To the hot bacon fat add the cabbage, onion, and celery, cooking until vegetables are wilted. Add the garlic and cook a minute more.
  3. Crumble into the pot the reserved, cooked bacon and add the remaining ingredients EXCEPT the red wine vinegar and garlic salt.
  4. Bring the soup to a boil, cover partially, and simmer on medium low 45 minutes to 1 hour. Be sure to start tasting the lentils after 45 minutes to test for a firm, but not crunchy, doneness.
  5. When the lentils are cooked, add the red wine vinegar. Taste the soup to see if more salt is needed, and if so, add the garlic salt to taste.
Recipe Notes

Nutritional facts per serving:

282 calories

4g fat

1,059mg sodium

27g carbs

7g fiber

9g protein

 

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