Aug 11, 2016  By Jewish National Fund  Category: Blueprint Negev,

In the JNF Kitchen: Simple and favorful fresh beet salad

This recipe of the week is a simple but well-seasoned beet salad from the kitchens of Yerucham, an Arava town rich in culinary traditions brought by Jews from Morocco and Yemen. It is a focus of the JNF Blueprint Negev campaign.

It is one of the fabulous recipes from "Flavors & Delights of Yeruham," a cookbook by the women of Yerucham that captures the culinary riches of the town. In addition to recipes, the book focuses on the personal stories of the cooks, and the flavors and atmosphere that surround them.

Before Yerucham had restaurants, its community members saw a desire to bring visitors in and they created a program that feeds, educates, and entertains travelers. Residents generate a hospitality industry right out of their homes while telling guests about their culture and background and educating through recipes. Women whose children have left home host travelers in their homes for home-cooked meals -- some of the best in Israel!

More on Yerucham:
Surprises abound in Yerucham, a little Negev town with big dreams
In the JNF Kitchen: Yerucham challah once made for President Ezer Weizman

Enjoy this #RecipeOfTheWeek, and if you make any of these recipes, be sure to send a photo of your creation to teddyherzl18@gmail.com or tweet it to @JNFUSA with the hashtag #JNFfoodie. We might share it! 

Ingredients

2 pounds beets (about 6 medium beets; alternatively, you can use precooked beets to save on cooking time) 
4-5 spring onions chopped
1/3 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
Juice from half a lemon
White pepper
Salt

Directions

Put the beets in a covered pot with water and cook for 1-2 hours on medium until they are tender and a fork can go in but they are not too soft.

Peel and clean the beets under running water. Pat dry with paper towels and cut into cubes.

Mix the vinegar, oil, and, lemon, and up to 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking water from the beets. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add the onions and parsley, and pour on the cut beets.

Adjust seasoning to taste.

You can keep the salad in a refrigerator for up to a week.

Enjoy!   


The people of Yerucham.