Muggy, Not Sultry

Did you know that "muggy" is an Old Norse word "mugga," meaning "mist or drizzle"? I bet you didn't!

Today is a muggy day in Minnesota, and I got to wondering where that word came from. I really prefer a sultry day to a muggy one, but this is what we got.

I haven't posted in a a while because it has been so hot this summer, and the kitchen is really not where I want to spend my time. But we gotta eat! This is how I have been compensating for my lack of culinary magic:

1. Getting more take out.
2. Telling my family to fend for themselves.
3. Getting my calories from liquids.

However, because of this hot, rainy summer, the garden is going crazy, and so I am forced to harvest vegetables much earlier than I am ready. For example, our beets are big enough to pluck from the ground, but who wants to cook beets when it's hot? It takes like an hour to cook them!

Anybody out there who knows how to store root vegetables, please advise. I picked about 10 of them, rinsed them and cut off the leaves, leaving an inch of stem. I stored them in the basement, in a wire basket. A few days later, I did the same thing, and discovered the previous batch was starting to degrade already. So I decided to cook them all today, on the grill. I have no choice but to eat beets every day, and to pickle the rest.


CZECH BEET SALAD
Recipe from my mom & dad's next-door neighbors

Cooked beets, peeled and shredded
fresh dill weed, chopped
sour cream
lime juice

Mix all ingredients together. Serve cold.


ITALIAN BEET & CUCUMBER SALAD
Recipe from Georgio's on Hennepin, our favorite restaurant ever, now closed

Cooked beets, peeled and sliced
sliced cucumbers
blue cheese, or gorgonzola

Layer ingredients on a plate. Drizzle your favorite vinaigrette (but it must include mustard) over the top. Serve at room temperature.


Yes, I used the kiddie pool to wash my veg.