Confessions of a Theatre Widow

When one is in a relationship with a theatre artist, one must reside oneself to frequent solitary evenings.  While the ones you enjoy the most are off being creative, you are left to be alone with your thoughts...or thought.

You are a theatre widow.

Or, if you are in the South, a thee-A-ter widduh.

To pass the time, you have folded all the laundry, answered emails, walked the pup, surfed the interweb, caught up on your TiVo, finished the great American novel, and called everyone you can think of only to be greeted by recorded voices because they too are in rehearsals.

*sigh*

There is only so much Battlestar Galactica you can watch in one sitting.

So instead of throwing yourself that all too familiar pity party, get cookin' instead and treat the ones you love to a post rehearsal, late nite supper!

You can still eat well, even though it's late.  Remember, food is not feed!


Roasted Beet and Grapefruit Salad

I just love me a beet.

If your beet greens aren't too tired, try throwing them into the mix!

Some spinach
Some arugula
3 beets
1 red grapefruit
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups garbanzo beans
Pistachios
Goat cheese
Garlic, 2 cloves
Thyme bundle
Chili oil
Salt and pepper

Grapefruit Tarragon Vinaigrette (recipe follows)


Preheat oven to 450.  Trim and peel beets.  Using a sharp knife, cut beets into small cubes (about 1").  Transfer beets to a baking sheet along with the whole garlic cloves and thyme bundle.  Drizzle with oil and season liberally with salt and pepper.  Toss to coat and throw in the oven for 20 minutes or until beets are caramelized and tender.  Discard garlic and thyme, and allow to come to room temperature.

Slice each end off the grapefruit to give you a steady cutting situation. Using a sharp knife, remove rind and pith.  Segment the grapefruit and place in a bowl squeezing any remaining juice out of that sucker.

In a large bowl, toss greens, onions, and garbanzos in vinaigrette.  Transfer to individual plates and top with beets, grapefruit, goat cheese and a sprinkle of pistachios.


Grapefruit Tarragon Vinaigrette

This is a damn good salad!

Juice of 1 grapefruit
1 Tbl grapefruit zest
1 Tbl fresh tarragon
1 tsp tarragon vinegar
1 small shallot, diced
1 glove garlic, minced
1 Tbl stone ground mustard
3/4 cup olive oil
salt 'n pepper

In a small food processor, puree all of the ingredients excluding the oil.  With the motor running, slowly drizzle in oil.  Deliciousness.



Chilled Fennel and Carrot Soup with Tarragon

Once pureed the soup takes on a delightfully creamy texture (and not a drop of cream in sight), perfect for a late nite supper or as a first course for lunch.  Serve warm in the fall/winter months...it's tasty hot, too!

1 medium fennel bulb, sliced
8 medium carrots, peeled and diced
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 Tbl tarragon vinegar
1 1/2 Tbl tarragon
1 Tbl fennel fronds
4 cups chicken stock (or water)
Thyme bundle
2 Tbl olive oil
Salt 'n pepper

In a large stockpot, heat oil over medium flame.  Add onions, fennel, and thyme bundle and saute for 5-7 minutes.  De glaze with vinegar and reduce liquid by at least half.  Add carrots and cook for an additional 10 minutes until carrots begin to soften.  Add chicken stock and bring to a boil.  Cover and reduce heat.  Add fresh tarragon and fennel fronds and simmer for 10 minutes. Take off heat and discard thyme.

Puree soup with an immersion blender (or working in small batches with a conventional blender).  Pass soup through a sieve.  Chill for 2 hours.