A Tale of Two Hashes

Beets. We've been getting more than I can keep up with. Sometimes we get the greens with the root part, which is nice because the greens are pretty easy to prepare (and should be removed right away anyway, because they draw moisture from the beetroot). But while the greens are sauteed and added to pasta dishes, polenta dishes, or just as a simple side dish, their detached roots pile up and roll around in the produce drawer.

I started to think that maybe the cooking time required of beets was deterring me from incorporating them into my daily meals. So I tried cooking all of them at once--roasted in a 425 degree oven for 90 minutes, or cooked in simmering acidulated water for about the same amount of time--only to end up with a bunch of foil-wrapped cooked, peeled beets rolling around in my fridge for weeks at a time.

I can only think of three things to do with cooked beets: add them to salads (gets boring after a while), make borscht (soup weather has not yet arrived), or make red flannel hash (the most appealing, but artery-clogging option). I am stuck. Do you know of any other ways to eat beets?

Anyway. The red flannel hash really keeps getting better and better each time I make it (even the photos get better). Recent weeks' shares have included beets, red potatoes, and parsley, so I just had to.

Then one day I had the spectacular idea of making a chicken hash with CSA white potatoes, sweet red peppers, scallions, and parsley, along with grilled chicken from the local deli, some half and half, and hot paprika. Alongside poached eggs and toasted multi-grain bread, this was a big filling homemade weekend brunch.

Remember how I mentioned that the first time I had red flannel hash was at Rick & Ann's in Berkeley? Well, the first time I had chicken hash was at Ella's in San Francisco, during a power outage. I remember my clothes smelling like they had been deep fried during that meal (since the fan thingies in the kitchen were down), but I also remember the chicken hash being deliciously crisp and golden on the outside, and moist and fluffy on the inside. While I made my hash chunky, Ella's mashes the potatoes and forms big patties that get pan fried. And if you're curious about Ella's recipe, you're in luck--it's their recipe of the month.