Reminiscing of Winter Dishes from Back Home

by Marjan

I love to listen to my father’s reflection of the traditional foods he used to eat growing up in Iran. He imparts with such fondness of a happy childhood. With a tender voice, a sparkle in his eyes, and a sweet smile, he shares with me his memories of the dishes his mother lovingly prepared for him. I guess now I know where I inherited my love of food!

I know it’s hard to believe, but here in Southern California, we have had extremely cold weather lately. Every morning, we wake up with frost! At nights, my father prepares a raging fire in the fireplace to fill the house with crackling sounds of wood burning, heat, and crimson glow. To please him, my mother on this one cold night prepared a traditional dish my father had as a child during cold, snowy, winter nights. Nestled warm by the fireplace, sometimes it feels refreshing to have something cool as a snack. Ice cream is too cold and after a while, how much hot cocoa can one drink? A healthy alternative is always good option!

My mother brings to a boil water, organic beets (mostly from our garden), and a dash of salt in a pot until they are well cooked and yet still firm. Remove beets from the hot water and cool. Once the beats are cold, remove the skin and cut into bite size pieces and place in a bowl. Add Greek yogurt and crushed walnuts to taste. Sprinkle a dash of salt and mix all ingredients well. Place in the refrigerator and serve thirty minutes later to experience a cool, healthy, winter dish. The crunch of walnuts, subtle natural sweetness of the beats, and soothing texture and taste of yogurt is a perfect snack to be enjoyed on a cold winter’s night by a roaring fire.

Enjoy!