Beetroot & Jerusalem Artichoke Salad

Hump Day fine dining!!! I should have spent the evening getting my ass kicked at Fierce45 (Lagree method = pilates on steroids, google it), but instead, B and I took a stroll down to Pearl Street and bought a bottle of wine. Because that's how we cook.Since moving to Colorado I have not been super impressed with the farmer's market scene, especially when I scroll back through photos of produce from the Union Square farmer's market (I'm referring to NYC, in case you're not in the know). I miss those mountains of picturesque rainbow carrots, greens and the stand with the garlic. And let's be real, the Cherry Creek market has become a) a gathering of food trucks and b) a hassle when you need to go to Bed Bath & Beyond (only when there's enough time). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VASzXVS9pTwAnd then my dad took me flying this weekend (see below, that's the SuperCub 5-7-Lima). One of his frequent stops is the family farm, where my Uncle John lives. Apparently, my dad buzzes my uncle (flies really low, close to his house), and by the time my dad circles the plane around and lands on the well-made dirt runway, my uncle, aunt, and their lovely puppy show up in a 4-wheeler, ready to cart your ass either to their house, or the big garden.  What lovely service, and accommodating hosts! :)The big garden. I am such an idiot. I come from a long line of farmers. My uncle John still lives on the Cordes farm. For years, they have worked on this glorious garden, and my dad brings back more produce than you can shake a stick at. I felt so ashamed that I'd forgotten this wonder of nature that my family worked so hard to create. Rows of corn, peppers, potatoes, beets, green beans, herbs, carrots, cucumbers, watermelons, squash. Literally anything you could want. Jesus, pull your ass out of your head, Katie.I have a generous family - I fly in, get to raid the garden without having put in a lick of work, load the produce into the SuperCub, and fly back to Denver.So today I decided to use the beets I came home with. Googling Mimi Thorrison (I may have been at work when I did this), I came across the below recipe for a beetroot and Jerusalem artichoke salad.Beetroot & Jerusalem artichoke saladserves 4Ingredients2 large beetroot peeled & cooked6 small Jerusalem artichokes (topinambours), peeled½ head of red cabbage2 shallots, slicedA few sprigs of chives, finely chopped4 slices Bigorre black pig bacon, finely sliced (alternatively, if you can’t find this variety, choose a good-quality bacon)Olive oilBalsamic vinegarCoarse sea-salt & black pepperDirections:Slice the beetroot (peeled and cooked) into ¼ inch slices.Place the ‘Bigorre’ bacon slices on a frying pan, pre-heated on a medium heat. Cook on both sides until crispy and golden. Set aside on kitchen paper to absorb excess fat.Pre-cook the Jerusalem artichokes in salted boiling water and 1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda (a little trick I learnt to ease digestion) for 10 minutes. Drain and set aside. Slice into rondelles.Slice the red cabbage finely and place in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a 2-3 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar. Set aside.Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a pan on a medium heat. Cook shallots for 3 to 4 minutes, add the Jerusalem artichoke slices and cook for a few minutes on each side until slightly golden. You want to keep them al dente. Set aside.In the same pan, add a little bit of olive oil and gently cook the beetroot slices on both sides for 2 minutes.Place the beetroot slices on a plate, add the Jerusalem artichokes and shallots. Scatter the red cabbage all over, sprinkle finely chopped chives and place the slice of fried ‘Noir de Bigorre’ bacon (or a lovely piece of bacon) on top. Just before serving, drizzle a few drops of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Season to taste.http://mimithorisson.com/2013/12/09/almost-christmas-lunch/The blog post associated with this recipe is lovely - cute family living in France, going out to pick a Christmas tree, decorating it, and effortlessly sitting down to dinner.Enter moi.Nothing about this is hard, but the time for cooking the beets was NOT included (at least an hour), and in an effort to reduce heat and conserve dirty pans, I used the same pot to cook the beets, as well as the Jerusalem artichokes. Big mistake. Big. Huge.Okay, it wasn't that bad, but it took ages to get everything ready.Pretty ingredients with a pretty glass of Rose <3Look at those beautiful, Cordes-grown beets!!! YUM.So what I loved about this recipe was that I got to use my beets, and I got to learn about Jerusalem artichokes. WHY IS THIS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE EVER EATEN JERUSALEM ARTICHOKES?!?! As an artichoke aficionado, my mind is boggled that I have never had the joy of these babies gracing my taste buds with their presence.That said, this was a weird salad. I really do not understand the addition of red cabbage. I'm guessing it was an attempt to balance the salad, but I think we'd be better served with the beetroot and the Jerusalem artichokes on a bed of arugula or mixed greens. So strange. Delicious, but strange. Also, I"m not sure if it was a function of the fact that I got my chives from Sprouts, but they seemed a little lost. And definitely you do not need to add more olive oil and balsamic at the end, as the recipe suggests.Bacon, of course, is delicious on everything.Paired with this lovely rose, and a bit of light reading #Francophile #iLoveMimi #wildwomenHappy Hump Day lovers. xx