# ISO Fresh Beet ideas



## norgeskog (Apr 27, 2005)

I bought some fresh beets at Saturday Market.  I had never cooked a fresh beet (only purchased canned ones that were pickled, thought they came that way  ).  The farmer lady suggested tossing with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and roasting (telling me not to cut them until baked).  OMG were they ever good, just put melted butter and more pepper on them. I have about 5 left and cannot get to Saturday Market this week as my daughter is moving into her new house on Saturday, bummer.   Anyone have a good way to roast/fix fresh beets???


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## janetGood (Apr 27, 2005)

This sounds good but I have not tried it, I have a hard time finding beet Ideas also. 
3/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tbs. cornstarch
 1/2 cup cider vinegar
1 1/2 cup cooked beets
2 tbs. butter
1 tbs. chopped parsley
Blend ginger, sugar and cornstarch in heavy saucepan, gadually add vinegar, stir until smooth.  Place saucepan over medium flame.  Cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add beets and butter, lower flame. Simmer gently 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve hot garnished with chopped parsley. Can also be used for carrots and sweet potatoes.


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## HanArt (Apr 27, 2005)

I love roasted beets! I just use olive oil and salt. 

They're good in a mixed green salad too with orange sections, roasted pecans, dressed with an orange vinaigrette.

If you can buy the beets with tops ... even better. Roast or boil the beets (whole), peel & slice, drizzle with melted butter and place on a bed of steamed tops that have been drizzled with butter and balsamic. Delish!


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## buckytom (Apr 27, 2005)

norgeskog,

i have a special place in my heart, er, i guess that would be tummy (sorry , i mean stomach in adult speak), anyway, i love beets. pickled are always a favorite. borscht is, well, eastern european power food. but my absolute favorite is grated with fresh horseradish. my mil introduced me to this many easters ago, and it is an absolute must have now. 

alas, this is one of the dishes we are now trying to reproduce, since she kept her recipe a secret to her grave. dw thinks she just boils, cools, skins, and grates the beet with a box grater. then she grates in a fresh horseradish root. you should be able to get fresh horseradish root in your farmer's market, if they're as good as they sound.

now comes the mystery. we are pretty sure she added a little vinegar; not sure if it was white or apple cider vinegar. then she added some herbs; possibly bay leaves. did she boil the mixture? did she add sugar? 

we have decided to try different variations this year when my beets come to fruition in the garden.

but even plain, with just grated beets and horseradish, on a bed of greens with blanched asparagus, and a hunk o' farmers cheese and a crusty loaf, and a hearty red makes a good meal.


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## Pam Leavy (Apr 28, 2005)

I prepared fresh beets for the first time last week.  I made the beet casserole in the Joy of Cooking book. It is basically peeled then sliced raw beets, butter, a bit of brown sugar, lemon juice and a bit of water, covered in the oven for 30-40 minutes.  It was really nice.

I am planning to try the roasting method next time.  Beets are definitly an underrated vegetable.

Yummy!!

Pam


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## jennyema (Apr 28, 2005)

My favorite way is a salad like Han Art suggests. I use a sherry vinaigrette and add some crumbled goat cheese.


I also sautee beets and beet greens (DONT FORGET ABOUT THEM -- THEY ARE YUMMY!! AND GOOD FOR YOU) with some olive oil and garlic.

I like to use a couple of different color beets for contrast.

I peel before I cook them.


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## norgeskog (Apr 28, 2005)

janetGood said:
			
		

> This sounds good but I have not tried it, I have a hard time finding beet Ideas also.
> 3/4 tsp. ground ginger
> 1/2 cup sugar
> 1 1/2 tbs. cornstarch
> ...


 
those sound good, Janet, and I absolutely love ginger.  Thanks


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## norgeskog (Apr 28, 2005)

HanArt said:
			
		

> I love roasted beets! I just use olive oil and salt.
> 
> They're good in a mixed green salad too with orange sections, roasted pecans, dressed with an orange vinaigrette.
> 
> If you can buy the beets with tops ... even better. Roast or boil the beets (whole), peel & slice, drizzle with melted butter and place on a bed of steamed tops that have been drizzled with butter and balsamic. Delish!


 
Thanks HanArt, I love t he idea of the salad with oranges and pecans.  ALso I get a wonderful champagne/orange vinegar from Trader Joes, you made my day.  I had the farmer lady remove most of the green tops as I have no use for them, they use for mulch, but I did have some of the red stems, left them on to roast.  They taste better with the added balsamic rather than just olive oil, S&P.


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## norgeskog (Apr 28, 2005)

Buck's horseraddish with the beet idea remindes me of my aunts dish, only she made a jello mold (red jello) and put jullienne beets and carrots and celery in it, then made a mayo, sour cream and horseradish sauce for, now that was really good too.

Thanks every one for the great ideas,


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## HanArt (Apr 28, 2005)

norgeskog said:
			
		

> Thanks HanArt, I love t he idea of the salad with oranges and pecans. ALso I get a wonderful champagne/orange vinegar from Trader Joes, you made my day. I had the farmer lady remove most of the green tops as I have no use for them, they use for mulch, but I did have some of the red stems, left them on to roast. They taste better with the added balsamic rather than just olive oil, S&P.


 
Lucky you with a TJ's!!! There's not a single one in the south.  We stop at one in Indianapolis every year when we drive home to visit my mom in northern Indiana.

Keep those beet greens next time. Too good for the compost pile!!!


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## kitchenelf (Apr 28, 2005)

norge - I love them roasted.


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## norgeskog (Apr 29, 2005)

HanArt said:
			
		

> Lucky you with a TJ's!!! There's not a single one in the south.  We stop at one in Indianapolis every year when we drive home to visit my mom in northern Indiana.
> 
> Keep those beet greens next time. Too good for the compost pile!!!


 
My 'garden' is about 4x4 feet square and I have no place to make the compost, so I just give it back to the farmers from whom I buy the produce, the are able to use it.  Sorry there is no TJ's near you, one may come there, however, they are in a growing mode, opening numerous stores each year.  Find their web site (google trader joe's) and click on the new stores (or something similar).


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## HanArt (Apr 29, 2005)

norgeskog said:
			
		

> My 'garden' is about 4x4 feet square and I have no place to make the compost, so I just give it back to the farmers from whom I buy the produce, the are able to use it. Sorry there is no TJ's near you, one may come there, however, they are in a growing mode, opening numerous stores each year. Find their web site (google trader joe's) and click on the new stores (or something similar).


 
I meant the beet tops are too delicious to toss into any compost pile. Really, try them next time! 

Believe me, I've written to TJ's and a local developer who's looking for something innovative for a small vacant shopping center near me. I think the demographics around here are perfect for TJ's. We have a Whole Foods opening up in June, but that's in a more exclusive part of town. You need big bucks to shop there!


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## Claire (Apr 30, 2005)

Beet greens are SO GOOD.  Also happen to be a huge source of calcium.  Another fresh beets prep is to just scrub them, then put on the grill when you're cooking something else.  Let them darken on all sides, put aside to cool, then peel (when I do this, I don't use the beets for the meal I'm cooking that day; I cook them and set them aside for another meal).  The beet will have a sweet, smokey flavor that is great just with butter or olive oil, S&P; mashed, sliced or diced.  Since hubby doesn't like beets, I haven't tried to make soup with these, but suspect it would be delicious.


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## HanArt (Apr 30, 2005)

Ooh Claire, never thought to put them on the grill. Thanks!!!


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## jpmcgrew (May 2, 2005)

I adore red beets in any form.By the way they are a good tonic for your blood.


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## momcooks (May 2, 2005)

I love beets, butter, salt and pepper is about all I need.  My Mother makes me pickles every year!


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## jkath (May 2, 2005)

_I know this is a recipe with canned beets, but it sure is moist and tasty!!!_


*Chocolate beet cake*

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 can (15 oz.) whole or quartered beets, drained (reserve liquid)
1-1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup juice from beets
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 squares (1 ounce each) unsweetened chocolate, melted
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
For icing:
1 cup white chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Arrange rack in the center of the oven. Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with non-stick foil. 

In a medium bowl, measure flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir to combine. Set aside. 

Puree drained beets in a food processor or heavy-duty blender. Scrape into a large bowl. Add sugar, vegetable oil, and 1/2 cup reserved beet juice to the pureed beets  and mix on medium speed until combined. Add eggs and vanilla extract, blending until completed incorporated. 

Add flour mixture to the beet mixture. Using medium speed, mix until combined, at least two minutes, scraping down sides often. Add melted unsweetened chocolate and mix until combined. 

Pour into baking pan. Distribute chocolate chips evenly over the top of the batter. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool to room temperature. 

To make icing:
Melt white chocolate chips in a double-boiler or microwave, being careful not to scorch it. Cool until just warm, but still liquid. Scrape into a ziptop bag, squeeze out the air, and seal the bag. Cut a small piece from the corner of the bag and drizzle white chocolate in a zig-zag pattern evenly over the top of the cake. Let sit to harden.


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## norgeskog (May 3, 2005)

jakth, that beet-chocolate cake sounds wonderful, I will print and save it.  Thanks.


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## ironchef (May 4, 2005)

For your enjoyment:

*Roasted Red and Yellow Beet Salad with Goat Cheese and Baby Greens*

*Yield:* 4 Servings

*Ingredients:* 

*Goat cheese dressing: *
1/2 pound goat cheese 
2 shallots, chopped 
4 Tbsp. Banyuls Vinegar 
2 Tbsp. Pineapple Juice 
1/2 c. Grapeseed Oil
2 Tbsp. Chives, finely chopped
1 tsp. Fresh Thyme 
Kosher Salt to taste
Fresh Cracked Pepper to taste

*Beet salad: *
6 –8 medium-size Red and Yellow Beets, rinsed scrubbed, skin on
3-4 Tbsp. Extra virgin olive oil 
Kosher Salt 
Fresh Cracked Pepper 
1 1/2 c. loosely packed Baby Arugula
1/2 c. Microgreens
1/2 c. Chervil 
4 ounces high quality goat cheese 
2-3 Tbsp. Truffle Oil

*Method: *


*For the Dressing: *
Combine goat cheese, shallots, pineapple juice, and vinegar in a blender or food processor. Puree until smooth. Slowly add the oil until emulsified. Add the thyme and chives and pulse for a few seconds until the herbs are incorporated in the dressing. Season to taste with kosher salt and pepper, transfer to a non-reactive container and refrigerate until service. This dressing can be held up for up to 3 days in the fridge, provided that the temperature in the fridge is below 40 degrees.


*For the Salad:*
Preheat oven to 350°F. Rub the beets with the extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt. Loosely wrap each beet individually in aluminum foil. Roast until tender, about 1 hour. Remove foil and cool completely. Peel and julienne. Divide and arange the beets among four plates. Spoon goat cheese dressing over beets. Combine all of the greens in a mixing bowl, drizzle with the truffle oil, and lightly toss. Season to taste with kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper. Place greens on or beside the beets. Crumble the goat cheese over the salads and drizzle the goat cheese dressing on and around the plate. 

*You can also add toasted pine or macadamia nuts, dried cherries, pineapple, or cranberries, and/or fresh deep fried crispy sweet/purple/yukon gold potato chips/gaufrettes to this dish as well.


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## norgeskog (May 4, 2005)

ironchef, that sounds good, I may have to try it when I find the yellow beets.  They were out last week at Saturday Market, will try again this week, even if it rains.  Need to get there when the open as they sell first.


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## HanArt (May 4, 2005)

ironchef, that dressing sounds wonderful!

I love yellow and white beets! They're so much sweeter than red and with the white you don't have to worry about stains. Usually one of the organic farmers at the Saturday market offers all three, but I don't remember any last winter. (Our beet season is fall-very early spring.)


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## Pam Leavy (May 5, 2005)

That salad sounds devine!  could I substitute another vinegar for the Banyuls Vinegar ?
Would it be okay to substitute truffle flavored olive oil?

Pam


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## ironchef (May 5, 2005)

Pam Leavy said:
			
		

> That salad sounds devine! could I substitute another vinegar for the Banyuls Vinegar ?
> Would it be okay to substitute truffle flavored olive oil?
> 
> Pam


 
The truffle flavored olive oil is pretty much the same thing. You can substitute either Sherry or Balsamic Vinegar for the Banyuls, although either would give a slightly different change in flavor.


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## Pam Leavy (May 6, 2005)

ironchef said:
			
		

> The truffle flavored olive oil is pretty much the same thing. You can substitute either Sherry or Balsamic Vinegar for the Banyuls, although either would give a slightly different change in flavor.


 


Thank you Ironchef!

Pam


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## Zereh (May 6, 2005)

I spent years and years not eating them because I thought I didn't like them. I bought some a couple summers ago and now I'm hooked. 

I like baby beets best. I roast them (EVOO and S&P) at 450 until they are tender (30+ minutes). They will pop right out of their skins when they're done. 

That salad up there looks tastey though, I'm going to try that one of these days.


Z


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## thumpershere2 (May 6, 2005)

Beets are great, we just planted 2 rows in the garden. We eat beet greens but they need to be washed several times because they have alot of sand in them. All the above recipes sound really good and I will try them. We love beets. I can 15 pints of pickled beets and freeze about 12 qts.


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## buckytom (May 6, 2005)

thump, what kind of beets do you grow? is your soil sandy? do you pile up the soil around the beets as they grow? my beets are very good, and like zereh said, are delicious when picked small. i like to pickle the small ones whole in mason jars. great on salads, or just with some farmers cheese and rye bread.
the odd thing tho, is that they seem to take twice as long to grow as they are supposed to, from what i've read.
i grow detroit dark reds, early wonders, and an heirloom that i can't remember the name. it has concetric rings in it.
my soil was sandy ( the garden was overused and chemically abused for so many years), but i've been trying to get more organic material into it. maybe that's why, i might have the wrong balance of nutrients, or not the right soil structure.


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## Pam Leavy (May 7, 2005)

I bought 12 beet plants on am impulse last weekend.  No idea how they will do.  

It is really exciting checking up on them each day!

Pam


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## Claire (May 7, 2005)

I've really been enjoying this thread, especially since I never had a fresh beet until a few years ago when I moved here.  Now my neighbors will bring me fresh beets for months.  I'm not into canning (I'm a coward), so get a bit stretched for ideas.  I love beets, though, so manage somehow.  I have one problem with beets that is the same with sweet potatoes.  Most recipes call for sugar, lots of sugar.  I personally have never figured out why a vegetable that is sweet to begin with needs syrup.  I like both veggies with a spicy/hot treatment so you really can enjoy the natural sweetness of the root.


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## thumpershere2 (May 7, 2005)

Buckytom, My soil for growing beets is alot of clay and we have cow maure hauled in. We till up the soil really good each year. No I don't pile the dirt up around the beet, just weed the garden, keep it watered. Maybe your soil is to sandy.I grow different kinds of beets but a great one is a Boston beet and they get large but you can pick them small too. Very good to eat. Keep working your garden to get it a good lome soil. Might want to get it tested to see what you need to do too. Good Luck.


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## janetGood (May 7, 2005)

I really like this thread also, what is Lome soil? My garden has alot of compost from years of mixing leaves and grass would this be OK for beets?  
I tried growing beets years ago, in my old dirt and they did not even get to an 1/8 round, I would like to try again though, I was thinking they needed more sun than we get here in Western Washington, we have a short growing season.


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## thumpershere2 (May 8, 2005)

janetgood, yes, beets need alot of sun and well drained soil.Your soil sounds like it is ok but might need a fertalizer along side of the row when you plant.Happy planting


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## kyles (May 8, 2005)

Moved to Vegetable forum


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