We grow dark red beets, candy striped beets, golden beets, and white beets. Some are round, some more “top” shaped. All have great greens. Let me assure you, fresh beets are NOTHING like canned beets. If you’ve only had canned beets, give fresh ones a try. Tony likes Harvard beets. Beth likes beets roasted or sauteed with olive oil, rosemary, thyme, and other veggies. Fresh beets are also good sliced on a crudite platter. If you use red beets, folks will have stained hands, and maybe stained clothes. The white and golden beets don’t run red, don’t stain, and have a milder flavor than the reds. Beet greens are good with our standard greens recipes. Warning – if you haven’t consumed lots of red beets before, remember the red beets make red water, even pink toilet bowl water. That can be startling the first time. Here is an interesting article about beets.
I am all for quick and easy recipes, and this one from Relish magazine fits the bill: Warm Beet Salad with Red Onion, Mint, and Pistachios.
Tony’s niece has joined a CSA in Nebraska, and is learning to use more veggies. She sent this easy beet prep they like: Shred cold cooked beets (we roast them on the grill in tinfoil) and mix with a little bit of mayo and garlic paste. Super tasty and simple.
CSA member Mary Jean Bland shared her recipe for Quick Pickled Beets:
1 small red onion, halved and sliced
1/2 cup red-wine vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cinnamon stick
4 whloe peppercorns
2 whole cloves
3 cups sliced cooked beets
Combine onion, viegar,sugar, cinnamon stick, peppercorns, and cloves in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the onion is tender-crisp, 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in beets and remove from heat. Let marinate for about 30 minutes stirring occasionally.
Victoria Duley shared this easy recipe for Great Beet Salad:
-Roast beets, pull off peels and cut into 1/2 inch chunks
-Toss beets with a little balsamic vinegar and olive oil
-Crumble feta cheese on top and serve!
(Can also roast pecans or walnuts and stir in to make a little more deluxe)
