EST. 2011 BY LIZ RUEVEN
Thanksgiving Starter: Roasted Beet Puree
Photo: Liz Rueven

Thanksgiving Starter: Roasted Beet Puree

Thanksgiving starters and sides are where my head is as we approach the holiday feast next week. My family has opted out of turkey (shocking, I know) and we’ll be grilling steak for an intimate crew around our table.

We’ll be starting with a seasonal, vegan and gluten-free beet puree called Charkhlis Mkhali. While we’ve easily found sweet CT beets growing at our favorite farms, this appetizer actually has roots in the far away country of Georgia.

Scroll down for recipe.

This region, which stretches from the Black Sea to the Caspian, has rich culinary traditions that range as widely as their topography and climate. I’m beginning to learn about the ingredients and flavors  of Georgian cuisine via Darra Goldstein’s award winning and recently updated book, The Georgian Feast; The Vibrant Culture and Savory Food of the Republic of Georgia.

The Georgian Feast Darra Goldstein

Goldstein’s veritable love letter to the people and region provides an intimate taste of cultural customs (the feasts!) and flavors.

If you’d like to learn more about the foods of Georgia, please join me for a celebration of Goldstein’s re-release of her book, plenty of nibbles and Georgian wines, generously donated by the National Wine Agency of Georgia.

We’ll be gathering in NYC on the eve of November 28, 2018 for a JDC Food Circle event. Our giving circle curates global culinary journeys in the NYC area as we explore cuisines, work with chefs, and learn about regions that JDC has impacted with humanitarian and lifesaving work.

 

kosher vegan gluten free beet puree
Photo: Liz Rueven; recipe for Beet Puree or Charkhlis Mkhali from The Georgian Feast.

I’ll be preparing 4-5 dishes with my friend, Danielle Rehfeld Colen of The Inherited Plate. Be sure to click over to The Inherited Plate to learn more about JDC’s event and to find recipes for the herbaceous Tarragon Pie and Khachapuri (stuffed bread).

Note:

The Georgian Feast; The Vibrant Culture and Savory Food of the Republic of Georgia is not a kosher cookbook. It contains a wide range of recipes with hearty chapters on vegetarian appetizers, soups, chicken (mostly suitable and all easily adapted), fish (all kosher), cheese and yogurt, breads, grains and over 30 pages devoted to vegetables, pickles and preserves.

Stuffed dumplings The Georgian Feast
Khinkali- Dumplings with Top Knot; The Georgian Feast

 

 

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