It all started with a produce score at the winter farmers market. One word: beets. These vitamin rich jewels were to be our next star. Nomin, my cooking companion, has a similar craving for a colorful plate. That desire and our passion to create in the kitchen, usually brings us on flavor journeys that we won’t stop talking about.
But back to the beets. On a surprisingly sunny afternoon, we decided to venture to the world of beet falafel. Falafel is a chickpea-based patty or ball that can be jazzed up with all the herbs and seasonings of your choice. We usually bake ours instead of frying and use some quinoa we have cooked up for an additional texture and protein punch.
Nomin and I knew fresh ginger with these beet falafel to-be would call for the most complimentary of flavors. The rich earthy flavor of the beets, and the sharp and warming ginger zing. Yum! With garlic, cilantro, curry powder, and pink Himalayan salt adding even more to our flavor profile, the anticipation as they cooked in the oven made our stomachs flip.
With our wraps ready, we waited. Spread with hummus and topped with cucumber, onion, and a boat load of greens, our beet falafel was about to add the most colorful contrast. And did it! The texture was soft and inviting, as the sweet beets and savory spices called for a flavor we’ll never forget. Oh, and we still have our fushsia-stained hands to remind us of our beat-iful creation!
Alyssa Giaimo
Reporter
alyssa.n.giaimo@uwsp.edu