The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Beets to brighten your week
If you need a respite from the heaviness of the world, allow me to recommend borscht. Audaciously fuchsia in color, this chilled beet soup will brighten your day with betalain pigments. It’s also delicious, filling, inexpensive and nutritious. I’ve been on a borscht binge since bunches of beets showed up in my CSA box. Convinced that beets taste like dirt? Never when you turn them into tangy summery goodness.
Start by donning an apron and gloves. (The only bummer about beets is that the juice aggressively stains.) Scrub off any dirt and cut away the greens and roots. Place the beets in a covered baking dish with splashes of oil and water, then roast at high heat until they are soft. If you’d prefer not to heat up your kitchen, you can easily roast them on an outdoor grill. Place the beets, oil and water in a tightly sealed foil packet over indirect heat and follow the rest of the recipe as written. (Pro tip: Cook a bunch of beets whenever you fire up the grill, and you’ll always have these versatile veggies on hand.) Once the fork-tender beets cool, cradle them in handfuls of paper towels and use the towels to wipe away the skins.
Borscht is happy to work with whatever liquid you have on hand. Chicken broth adds subtle savory notes, and a boost of protein to boot. When cooler months return, try beef broth borscht, made with hearty root vegetables and leftover braised rib meat. But right now, while the temperature trudges toward steamy, I prefer a lighter mix of vegetable broth and water.
Instead of using flour or cornstarch, traditional borscht is thickened with sour cream. I welcome the tartness, but the calories? Not so much. Instead, I make an indiscernible swap with fat-free plain Greek yogurt. Gently whisk the proteinpacked yogurt into the broth, then add the diced beets, and your favorite summer vegetables like cucumber, red or orange bell peppers, and red onions. Generous amounts of dill are vital for the success of your borscht, as is a good amount of acid. I love vinegar like I could marry it; 2 tablespoons of Champagne vinegar flavor my borscht. If you prefer your lips not to pucker, try a drizzle of fresh lemon juice instead.
Borscht tastes better the second and third day, so give yourself the gift of time by allowing the flavors to blend overnight in the refrigerator. Then garnish with some chopped hard-boiled eggs (more protein!) and let the soup brighten your day.
Farmers & Fishermen Purveyors
Scrolling through the offerings from the new home delivery service Farmers & Fishermen Purveyors, it’s hard to stop your mouth from watering. First up are the impeccably fresh fish, such as Dover sole and wild striped bass. Then, there’s the smoked fish and colossal lump crab meat; cuts of prime beef, including fillets and rib-eyes; pork from Adam Cox Farms in Florence, Alabama; lamb from Colorado; and even wagyu and wild game. And, it’s not just luxurious foods, but also everyday staples, like ground beef and bacon. All are restaurant quality, and available for free delivery to your door in fully recyclable packaging. For those moments when you’re not in the mood to cook, there are prepared side dishes from venerable Atlanta caterer
Eat Clean Bro
We’re here to tell you that healthy meals — lean proteins, lots of vegetables and complex carbs like brown rice penne pasta — are available for delivery to your door. Eat Clean Bro has come to Atlanta with a choice of more than 50 meals, ranging from breakfast burritos to grilled steak — all delicious, all low-calorie. Delivery is available Sundays, Mondays and Thursdays. Order before midnight, and you’ll have your freshly prepared food the next day. We tried some comfort food favorites, like Swedish meatballs (served with yummy creamed spinach instead of noodles — yes, reduced fat creamed spinach, but you never could tell); some seafood specials, like the salmon burger poke bowl with kohlrabi slaw in a nutty toasted sesame oil dressing; and, our favorite, the Thai peanut noodles with a grilled Cajun-spiced chicken breast. We found every meal
Snap Kitchen
Austin, Texas-based Snap Kitchen is now offering fresh, ready-to-eat meals with free delivery in Atlanta. We tried a range of customer favorites, ranging from chicken piccata (with fresh spinach that wilts just enough when you heat the meal) to veggie taco hash, with a delicious avocado sauce. There are breakfast options; meals the kids might enjoy, like chicken tenders with turnip mash; and, our new favorite, roasted veggies with cucumber tahini. We love that each meal is labeled on its side, so, when the meals are stacked in the refrigerator, you easily can identify them, with no
Proof of the Pudding, including the potato au gratin and balsamic Brussels sprouts that we tried. Even the sprout hater among our testers ate two servings. Ready-to-heat, falling-off-the-bone tender baby back ribs and Patak beef franks and sausages are available for your Fourth of July cookout. If you’re not content with just proteins and side dishes, founder Kirk Halpern will send you eggs, boxes of fruit or vegetables, and, from the Philanthropic Pantry section, Purposeful Pecans, with sales benefiting Atlanta Meals on Wheels. We bet your list of things to order will be as long as ours.
Order by 10 p.m. for free next-day delivery in metro Atlanta. Call 770-441-1100 or order at farmersandfishermen.com. Delivery available Mondays-Saturdays. Orders placed Saturday are delivered Monday.
Instead of using flour or cornstarch, traditional borscht is thickened with sour cream. I welcome the tartness, but the calories? Not so much. Instead, I make an indiscernible swap with fatfree plain Greek yogurt.
was enough for two to share, or to enjoy for dinner with leftovers for lunch. Everyone who tried these remarked how great it was to be able to eat clean food that didn’t break the bank.
Meals range from $8.50 to $12.99 per portion. Delivery is free in 15 metro Atlanta counties. Delivery also is available in the remainder of Georgia, as well as Alabama, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida. Order at eatcleanbro.com. shuffling through packages. Most meals are less than 400 calories. You can make a single order, or subscribe to a meal plan for 5 percent off each meal. Dietitian-created plans include low-carb, ketofriendly, Whole30, paleo, high-protein, vegetarian and more. There is no gluten in any meal, no preservatives, and the meats are raised without antibiotics or added hormones.
Meal delivery plans start at $69.99 for six menu items or $114.99 for 12 meals, and include delivery. Choose a meal box plan and save $60 off your first three weeks. Learn more at healthy.snapkitchen.com/ healthyhabits.