It is amazing how fast Sunday afternoons fly by when you spend them watching The Office marathons on COZI TV. My whole family are super fans of this show. In fact if Dunder Miffilin and Schrute Farms were real places we'd absolutely take a road trip to Scranton, Pennsylvania to check these spots out in person. So a special thank you to Ulysses Press for sending us BEET THIS: An Unofficial Schrute Farms Cookbook.
This cookbook takes readers on a culinary quest delving into the recipes that The Office's loveable loser Dwight Schrute would bake up on his family's beet farm. Full of the sarcasm The Office is known for and quirky references to the show whether or not you will ever mix up anything to bake in the kitchen this cook book is a great read for anyone who would ever love to visit Schrute Family Farms. Admit it if you ever had the chance to meet Dwight in person and take in his odd lifestyle you absolutely would. I know I'd be geeked to actually meet Dwight Schrute or even his look alike Rainn Wilson.
While the contents of BEET THIS: An Unofficial Schrute Farms Cookbook may seem goofy these actually are real recipes within it that can be prepared with many containing beets as an ingredient. Categories of recipes include breakfast, salads, snacks and sides, soups and stews, main courses, sweets and drinks. Influenced by Dunder Miffilin paper salesperson / assistant to the Regional Manger and beet farmer extraordinaire Dwight Schrute these recipes incorporate actual Pennsylvania Dutch cuisine and classic German recipes with an added heavy dose of beets.
I love pretzels and beer so two of my favorite recipes in the cookbook let you create your own Schrute Family beet garden for some Oktoberfest fun at home:
Butterbrezel
Serves 6 / Prep Time: 35 minutes / Cook Time: 8 to 10 minutes
Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon of sugar
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
4 tablespoons (2 ounces) softened butter
4.5 cups of water
1 tablespoon coarse salt
3 tablespoons baking soda
Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, mix 1 cup of flour with the sugar, yeast, and 2 tablespoons of butter. Mix in 1.5 cups of water and then let the mixture sit for 15 minutes or until you start to see bubbles.
2. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon of salt and then add the remaining flour, bit by bit, until the dough develops a kneadable texture. Knead it on a floured countertop or other surface until elastic, about 8 minutes, adding more flour if necessary.
3. Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces and let rest for 5 minutes. Roll 1 piece of dough until a 15-inch-long rope, then loop and twist it into a pretzel shape. Repeat with the remaining pieces.
4. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Grease your baking sheet.
5. Meanwhile, bring the remaining 3 cups of water to a boil on the stovetop. Sprinkle in the baking soda and stir; remove from heat. Dip each pretzel into this warm water bath for about 45 seconds, flipping over halfway through to evenly cover.
6. Arrange the pretzels on the baking sheet. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and brush onto both sides of the pretzels. Sprinkle with remainder of salt and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown.
Uncle Bert's Beet Beer
Makes 1 to 2 gallons / Prep Time: 2 Hours / Fermentation Time: 7 to 14 days
Ingredients:
6 medium beets, 4 for mash and 2 for final flavor
4 gallons of distilled water
4 pounds of Pilsner malt
1/2 pound of caramel malt
1/2 pound of aromatic malt
1/4 pound honey malt
2 ounces hops (Fuggle, Williamette or Styrian Savinjski Golding
Pinch of Irish moss
3 pounds dry malt extract
1 pack Belle Saison dry yeast
2/3 cup corn sugar
2 cups water
Directions:
1. Wash, peel and wrap 4 beets in aluminum foil and roast in a preheated 400 degree oven for 1 hour
2. Heat 4 gallons of water to 150 degrees in a brew kettle
3. Combine the cooked beets and malt grains (for mash) for 1 hour in the kettle. Once your grains are sparged remove the grains and beets and discard. Bring what remains to a boil, add the hops and Irish moss, and boil for 1 hour. Turn off the heat and dissolve the malt extract in the boiled liquid. Cool the wort with a chiller or place in a sink with cold water and use cold, distilled water to top off to 5 gallons.
4. Pitch the yeast (add to the chilled wort) and allow the solution to ferment at room temperature for 7 days. If your hydrometer shows a gravity of around 1,010 rack the beer (transfer off the yeast) for another 7 days.
5. Add corn sugar and water to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Once it cools, add it to your bottling container/bucket.
6. Finally, for a handsome beet flavor and color, boil 2 medium peeled beets, cool the pot to room temperature, and toss the boiled beet mixture into your secondary fermenter. Bottle your final solution and let it age at room temperature for 14 days.
Or if you don't have the patience to brew it yourself, grab yourself a bottle from Bridge Brewing.
I'd snack on Butterbrezel and Uncle Bert's Beet Beer while watching episodes of The Office. How about you? For these and other family recipes from Schrute Farms pickup the BEET THIS cookbook from Ulysses Press.
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