Renée and I ventured to Whole Foods Market in University Heights on Saturday. It was our first visit, but I know it won’t be our last, especially since WFM acquired Wild Oats Markets, which has a store ten minutes from our house. The selection was fantastic and it was hard to narrow our choices down to their exclusive Robusto cheese, fresh beets, a large rutabaga, some granolas, a loaf of artisan bread called “Seeduction,” and a blackberry Cabernet sorbet.
We had reservations at Lolita on Sunday night to celebrate Renee’s birthday. We try to eat there at least once a month and a late Sunday dinner is a relaxing way to finish off the weekend with some great food. We needed a little something to tide us over until dinner, so I made up some rutabaga fries. (Sorry, no pic.) I’d seen Emeril Lagasse mention rutabaga fries on one of his recent shows and I was curious to try them. Peeled, sliced like fries, and tossed with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper, I roasted them at 400F for about 20 minutes before browning them for a few minutes with the broiler. Rutabagas originated as a cross between the cabbage and the turnip and are also known as swedes, Swedish turnips, and yellow turnips, and the fries had a definite hint of cabbage flavor while also retaining a bit of sweetness. They turned out pretty good, although not as crispy as I would have liked. Next time, they’re going directly onto a hot sheet pan at 475F.
Tonight it was snacks again because everyone had places to be and dinner would be catch as catch can. I decided to make some fried leek rings. This is a really simple snack that’s a nice alternative to onions. Trimmed of the dark green leaves, cut into 1/2 inch sections and separated into 2 layer rings, just dredge in a little flour and salt, then dip in an egg/milk mixture and dredge again in flour and salt and fry in 375F canola oil for about a minute. Drain on a rack or several layers of paper towels and it’s snack time.
Yes, I know, there’s something a little unwholesome about making fried foods from the delicious fresh produce we got at such a fine organic food establishment. But, hey, if I’m going to eat fried foods, I might as well fry the best I can find!
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How can anything so good be bad for you? It’s a vegetable so there.
Those rings are making my mouth water!
Your rings look Great! Leeks make a wonderful meduim for stacking presentations and flavor. Try cutting your leeks into 3 inch long stems, then slice into match stick slices. Batter then serve your favorite meat on top w/sauce ie, Grilled Tenderloin Medallions w/ Mustard Madera,Green Pepper corn Cream Sauce. Tip for your Leek rings; make sure your batter completly soaks thru the flour coating. this will reduce the blow-off of batter in random spots. Keep up the good work.