Anna's Impossibly Good Chocolate Beet Cake

Beets add moisture and an earthy hint to this chocolate cake. This recipe is for intermediate bakers, as it doesn’t involve fancy equipment but there is the extra step of cooking and pureeing the beets, plus baking in a water bath.

18 oz beets, roasted or boiled

4 eggs

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

2 Tbsp brandy (or substitute another Tbsp of vanilla)

2 ½ cup sugar

1 cup unsalted butter, melted & cooled

1 ⅓ cup all purpose flour

¾ cup dark cocoa powder

Pinch salt

4 tsp baking soda

¼ cup boiling water

Preheat oven to 375. Prepare a 10” round or 8” square cake pan by greasing and lining the bottom with parchment paper cut to fit, then set inside a larger baking vessel like a casserole/lasagna pan. Peel, chop and puree beets as smooth as you can in a blender or food processor (don’t worry if it’s not perfectly smooth, it will disappear into the cake soon). In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla and brandy, then gradually whisk in the sugar, followed by the butter. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa and salt, then gently whisk into the batter in three additions. Whisk in beet puree in two additions. Place baking soda in a small heatproof container and add the boiling water, stir to dissolve, then add to the batter and whisk in well. Pour batter into pan and smooth top. Place both pans into oven and pour up to an inch of hot water into the larger outer pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the middle of the cake comes out with no streaks of batter on it. Remove both pans from oven and allow water to cool to warm, then remove cake pan to a rack to finish cooling. Once cake is cool, flip onto a plate and gently peel parchment off. Chill before frosting or glazing, or serve as is.

Crustless Quiche with Duck Eggs

3 jumbo duck eggs
½ cup heavy cream
¼ cup milk
¼ tsp salt
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
3-4 medium sized green chilies, thawed, seeded & chopped

Preheat oven to 350. Grease 9 cups in a muffin pan or one pie pan. Evenly distribute cheese and peppers in pan(s). Thoroughly scramble eggs and whisk in cream, milk and salt. Pour evenly over peppers and cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes for mini quiche, 35-40 for full size. The top should be lightly golden and the center set but still jiggly. Allow to cool to warm before removing from pan (may need to run a knife around the edge). Serve with salsa of your choice and a side salad.

Rutabaga Muffins

Add nuts and dried fruit if you like!

1 cup whole wheat flour
¼ tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
2 tsp ground nutmeg
2 eggs (or 1 super jumbo duck egg!)
⅓ cup maple syrup
¼ cup oil of your choice
1 tsp vanilla extract
⅓ cup unsweetened applesauce
1 ¾ cup grated rutabaga

Preheat the oven to 350 and line a 12 cup muffin pan with papers, or grease. In a large bowl whisk together the dry ingredients. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the eggs and maple syrup, then whisk in the oil and vanilla. Add to dry and fold until barely mixed, then fold in the applesauce and rutabaga. Scoop into muffin pan and bake for 20 minutes, rotating once halfway, and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes.

Rutabaga Noodles with Brown Butter and Sage

Rutabaga’s relative starchiness and affinity for brown butter and other rich flavors make it a fun option for winter vegetable noodles.

1 large or 2 small rutabaga
6 Tbsp unsalted butter
½ tsp salt
1 Tbsp chiffonade sage, divided
2 Tbsp heavy cream
Pinch nutmeg or mace
Parmesan & cracked peppercorns, to garnish

Peel the rutabaga and trim so it will fit in a spiralizer, or cut into long quarters and shave with a mandolin or Y peeler, then slice resulting sheets into ¾” wide noodles and set aside. In a medium frying pan, cook the butter, salt and 2 tsp of the sage over medium heat, stirring often, until the butter browns and the sage crisps. Remove from heat and rest to cool briefly, then whisk in the cream. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and add the rutabaga noodles, let simmer and stirring a few times. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until just tender and the “turnip funk” cooks off. Strain and toss in pan with sauce and nutmeg/mace, then pile on plates and shower with parmesan cheese, the reserved sage and pepper. Serves 4.

Potato Radish Soup

1 small yellow onion, diced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1½ lb red potatoes, diced
1 clove garlic, diced
6 oz white wine, dry cider or ale
3½ cup stock of your choice
2” chunk parmesan rind
½ lb radish, sliced thin

In a soup pot, sweat the onion in the oil until translucent, then add potato and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until slightly softened. Add garlic and quickly cook until fragrant, then deglaze with wine and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid cooks off. Add stock, rind and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and cover, turning heat low to simmer until potatoes are as soft as you'd like them. Add radish and simmer 5 minutes or until softened and translucent.