# Beets and Beet greens



## JGDean (May 6, 2008)

I picked up some very fresh ones at a Farmer's Market. My husband hates beets but he has only had the canned kind. What can I do with them that would be tasty?


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## Robo410 (May 6, 2008)

beets are great roasted (wrap in foil and pop in the oven 300-350 for an hour ...depending on size...check doneness with a knife) peel and slice or wedge, dress with fresh orange juice and dill ...really great.

Beet greens are very tender and "sweet" and sautee with garlic and olive oil.  yum

beets also are a great side with a spicy marinara pasta with sausage.  The flavors work together well.


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## buckytom (May 6, 2008)

boil and skin the beets, then grate them with fresh horseradish. the hotter the horseradish, the better. you can add a liitle salt and vinegar if you want more flavor.

the beet tops are good wilted and served with chopped shallots, evoo, and red wine vinegar.


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## Jeff G. (May 6, 2008)

Borscht!  I love good borscht.  Beef stock, beets, a few other veggies.  Serve with sour cream.... You can google search it.  

I also love Harvard beets.. Hot, creamy great flavor!!


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## mcnerd (May 6, 2008)

Here is my notes on this nice vegetable:

These grungy-looking roots are naturally sweeter than any other vegetable, which means they pack tons of flavor underneath their rugged exterior.
Why they're healthy:  Think of beets as red spinach. Just like Popeye's power food, this crimson vegetable is one of the best sources of both folate and betaine. These two nutrients work together to lower your blood levels of homocysteine, an inflammatory compound that can damage your arteries and increase your risk of heart disease. Plus, the natural pigments - called betacyanins—that give beets their color have been proved to be potent cancer fighters in laboratory mice.

*How to eat them*:  Fresh and raw, not from a jar. Heating beets actually decreases their antioxidant power. For a simple single-serving salad, wash and peel one beet, and then grate it on the widest blade of a box grater. Toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the juice of half a lemon.

You can eat the leaves and stems, which are also packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Simply cut off the stems just below the point where the leaves start, and wash thoroughly. They're now ready to be used in a salad. Or, for a side dish, sauté the leaves, along with a minced clove of garlic and a tablespoon of olive oil, in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Cook until the leaves are wilted and the stems are tender. Season with salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice, and sprinkle with fresh Parmesan cheese. 

I also use them in a Juicer, but only a half a beet at a time with lots of other vegetables.  They are very potent and the "redness" from fresh beets will pass through your system and look like fresh blood at the other end.  You don't really experience that with the canned ones.


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## CharlieD (May 6, 2008)

The only way I'd eat them is in the borscht. Search for my recipe here. You can grade them fresh, ad some fresh garlic and crushed walnuts, and a little bit of mayo. Mix well serve. 

Alton Brown did something with beets greens, but I do not remember what.


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## QSis (May 6, 2008)

I boil the beets whole, then peel and dice them when cooled.  I chop up the beet greens and steam them with some whole garlic cloves, about 15 minutes.

Add in the diced beets, lots of butter, some salt and pepper. Serve in separate little side bowls.  Each person adds the amount of vinegar he/she wants at the table.  Make sure you slurp up the juice!

Lee


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## expatgirl (May 7, 2008)

Charlie's recipe is great......he's a die-hard Ukrainian and knows what he's talking about.....I like less beets and more potatos and my DH is the opposite so we compromise...we do it MY way.......I was very surprised at the nutritional value of fresh beets ----HIGH!


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## CharlieD (May 7, 2008)

expatgirl said:


> Charlie's recipe is great......he's a die-hard Ukrainian and knows what he's talking about.....I like less beets and more potatos and my DH is the opposite so we compromise...we do it MY way.......I was very surprised at the nutritional value of fresh beets ----HIGH!


 
Thank you, you are too kind.


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## archiduc (May 14, 2008)

JGDean said:


> I picked up some very fresh ones at a Farmer's Market. My husband hates beets but he has only had the canned kind. What can I do with them that would be tasty?


 
Hi JGDean,
Here are a few ideas for you:
* Beetroot and dill salad - diced beetroot, lots of dill, mix with olive oil and white wine vinegar, salt and pepper.
* Beetroot, hot peeled and served with melted butter and shavings of parmesan;
* Beetroot salad with spring onions, anchovy fillets, oregano, red wine vinegar and olive oil;
* Add some diced/sliced cooked beetroot to red cabbage;
* Beetroot purée - fabulous with game, especially venison
* Beetroot croquttes - a thick bechamel sauce to which you add diced beetroot, cool, shape and dip in egg and breadcrumbs before deep fat frying;
* Beetroot and orange soup

Have fun experimenting, it is a fabulous but saddly underrated vegetable.

Hope this helps,
Archiduc


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## Andy M. (May 14, 2008)

JGDean said:


> ...My husband hates beets ...


 

Your husband is a wise man with a discerning palate.


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## MexicoKaren (May 14, 2008)

Back in the days when I was a stay-at-home mom (35 or so years ago) I was determined to be a creative home-maker. This included canning my own vegetables, and of course, I would go out to the fields and pick them myself so they would be very fresh. One hot summer day, I went out and dug 67 pounds of beets and came home and canned them. I had the jars lined up on the counter in all their ruby-red splendor when my husband got home and reminded me that I was the only one in the family who liked beets. Oh well - I enjoyed every morsel. It just took awhile.


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## mcnerd (May 15, 2008)

MexicoKaren said:


> One hot summer day, I went out and dug 67 pounds of beets and came home and canned them. I had the jars lined up on the counter in all their ruby-red splendor


Wow!  Instead of being a Red-Hot Mama you would have been a Red-Handed Mama!

I can barely imagine the absolute redness that must have been achieved with preparing all those beauties, let alone the results of eating them.  And the outcome.


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## MexicoKaren (May 15, 2008)

*Beets*

Yes, the outcome can be a little alarming if you aren't expecting it......


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## B'sgirl (May 15, 2008)

I use beet greens in fresh salad mixes.


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## archiduc (May 18, 2008)

Andy M. said:


> Your husband is a wise man with a discerning palate.


 
Hi Andy,
Give it another try - beetroot is a fabulous vegetable, especially when home grown and roasted or boiled.

In a salad, beetroot, finely diced, with lots of dill and an oil (which doesn`t shout "look at me") is glorious as a starter with other "mezes".

Served with game, like hare or venison, it is org****c, as a purée, it is fantastic. (!!!!!) The earthy taste and natural sugars/acid cuts through and compliments the meat perfectly.

Red cabbage with beetroot is great as a basis on which to put pan fried/roasted Duck breast and makes a fantastic main course. Also, beetroot and Orange soup with sour cream quenelles or sour cream and horseradish quenelles, garnished with chives make a great starter.

* beetrot crisps
* beetroot (hot) with melted butter and shaved parmesan
* buttered beetroot with celery
* beetroot in orange sauce - serve with game
* beetroot (sliced and hot) with butter and mint
* beetroot croquettes
* beetroot jelly
* beetroot and orange soup
* the classic - beetroot soup

A very great vegetable with lots of possibilities.

Regards,
Archiduc


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## buzzard767 (May 18, 2008)

Trim and boil for about forty minutes. Pour into strainer and let cool about thirty minutes. Use your fingers and push/pull on the skin surfaces. The skin slides right off.


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## Constance (May 18, 2008)

Oh, I love PICKLED beets! I use 1/3 each sugar, white vinegar and water. 
I also like plain cooked beets, but I don't want them fancied up too much. I just love the earthy taste and smell of the beet.

I know beet greens are supposed to be extremely nutritious, but I have never had the urge to try them. 

I think beets are so cool to work with...you just need a pair of gloves.


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## buzzard767 (May 18, 2008)

Constance said:


> I know beet greens are supposed to be extremely nutritious, but I have never had the urge to try them.


 
Try them - delicious. I use the following recipe from cooks dot com


BEET GREENS 
1 lb beet greens, well washed
3 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 chicken bouillon cube
1/4 cup water

In a large saucepan, bring 1/4 cup water to a rolling boil. Drop in washed beet greens. Peel garlic cloves and slice or shave thinly (a vegetable peeler or garlic mandoline may be used) or, alternatively, finely mince the garlic. Add to water along with the greens. 
Stir often to ensure greens cook evenly. As greens begin to wilt and water evaporates slightly, add butter. 
Reduce heat and cook for only 5 minutes after greens have wilted (for young greens - older greens will require a few addtional minutes to tenderize. Taste them and see if they are done). 
Combine bouillon cube with olive oil. When butter has melted, stir in olive oil. 
Drain greens; season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve. Note: If you have chicken base, substitute 1/4 teaspoon for the bouillon cube.


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