By Sidonie Maroon , abluedotkitchen

Beets!

I’m hoping you’re so-so about beets, haven’t had a rocking experience or believe they’re too much trouble. I’m hoping because I want to put you in the mood for love — opening your heart to some root-zoned transcendence.

Once, I was beyond indifferent — beets were YUK food. I’d condemned them to “never shalt thee touch my lips land.” because of a bad canned beet childhood experience.

Then, I grew them and began a lifelong love affair exploring their charms. So follow along as I recount for you the beet-uh-tiful possibilities.

Your Basic Beets

There are four beet types you’ll encounter at the Food Coop:

Chioggia or candy stripe beets from the Italian region of that name. They’re dramatically two-toned with concentric circles of Ruby and white when raw. When cooked their rings turn to a soft rose. They’re eye catching and painterly. Their flavor is mild. I use them raw, sliced paper thin into salads.

Cylindrical beets are fabulous for ease of preparation. The cooked skin slips from the burgundy flesh as lustrous as the round reds and with fine flavor. When sliced they topple into perfect rounds cool as carrots.

Golden beets have an orange skin but cook up yellow sweet. They lack the rich flavor of the red but they make up in tidiness. They won’t turn your hands into a scene from Macbeth. Golden beets look sunset gorgeous paired with red beets.

Workhorse standard red beets like Red Ace are sweet with an earthy mineral undertone. They are dependable and will get you through the winter with soups and salads.

Four superior ways to prepare beets

1. Raw, lightly steamed or blanched. Grated raw beets add a textural dimension to salads and salsa. Steamed or blanched so they lose their raw edge but remain crunchy. I like this method because it brings out sweetness, retains crunch but we lose the heavy raw beet taste — good way to go with the Chioggia or golden beets.

Try a quick herring and beet salad. Pickled herring is tasty with earthy beets and apples. Chop peeled beets into a medium dice and blanch for two minutes, drain and rinse under cold water. Dice a sweet yet tart apple to the same size. Mince a couple of green onions. Rinse and drain, ½ cup or more pickled herring, to take off its vinegar edge. Toss together in a salad bowl. Make a dressing with 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish, 1 teaspoon dill seed, big squeeze of lemon, ½ teaspoon sea salt, and 1 cup sour cream. Fold dressing into salad and serve.

2. Pressure cook. I use an Instant Pot, such a wonderful invention. Stab each whole beet with a knife. Set into a steamer basket with 1 cup water in the inner pot. Seal the lid and set to high pressure with an instant release. This is a simple way to cook beets for salads, or other dishes. The skins will peel right off. Try pressure cooking whole beets and adding orange peel and star anise to the water. Strain and reduce the cooking liquid.

Instant Pot time according to the beet’s circumference.

Note: If you like your beets softer, then opt for a natural release.

5 inches = 11 little crunch to 15 minutes soft with some chew

5.5 inches = 14 to 18 minutes

6 inches = 17 to 21 minutes

6.5 inches = 18 to 23 minutes

7 inches = 20 to 25 minutes

7.5 inches = 24 to 28 minutes

8 inches = 27 to 31 minutes

8.5 inches = 30 to 34 minutes

9 inches = 32 to 36 minutes

3. Roasting is the way to go for flavor enhancement. I roast a couple of ways. First, as for a baked potato: stab with a knife and roast on a parchment lined baking sheet at 425 f for an hour or more depending on the size of the beet. A knife should easily cut into the flesh when it’s done. I tend towards the fully roasted and sweet. The other method is to peel the beets, dice, rub with olive oil, add salt and spices and roast. Use the same temperature. Stir every 20 minutes for up to an hour. This is the way to go to enhance the flavors and get all the surfaces fully roasted.

4. Lacto Fermenting beets into kraut, kvass or pickles. Simple and delicious.

Spice and herb ideas for roasting

• Black pepper, allspice and ginger

• Szechuan pepper, star anise, coriander, orange

• Clove, cinnamon, black pepper and fennel

• Garlic, cilantro and cumin

• Dill, mustard and horseradish
  
  

Beet Companions

Compliment cooked beets with strong flavors: horseradish, chili, ginger, mustard, bitter chicory watercress, acid balsamic or fruit vinegar, citrus fruits, spicy Szechuan peppers, curry spices, caraway, salty olives, capers and anchovies.

Beets Pair Well With

• Apples, arugula, avocado, basil, green beans, beef, butter, cabbage, capers, caraway seeds, carrots, celery

• Try beets with cheeses like: blue, gorgonzola, cheddar, goat, parmesan, Roquefort.

• Cultured dairy works well: yogurt, creme fraiche, sour cream

• Beets and Beef, Beets and Fish, Beets and Mushrooms, Beets and Walnuts.

Beets Abound the World Around

Indian

Persian

Turkish

Russian

Baltic

French

Irani Beet Borani

Roast beets whole until soft and sweet. Peel and dice. Fry an onion in olive oil with a generous pinch of cumin and fennel seeds. Once the onion is sweet, add the beets and one cup of drained yogurt. Top with chopped toasted walnuts.

THE SWEET WITH THE SOUR--- BEET WEDDING SALAD

enough for 10-12 beet lovers (Baltic Inspired)

Svyoklaz Kislo-Sladkoy Pripravoy

Roast 4 pounds of red beets with skins on until fork tender, peel the beets and dice evenly.

(we can also add Steamed stalks and greens)--SAVE THE BEET JUICES FROM ROASTING--they are the kicker ingredient. I roast in the slow cooker, beets wrapped up in parchment paper with some water in the bottom--on high for 4-5 hours.

The Dressing:

1 tablespoon dijon mustard

1/4 cup sugar (dark whole cane)

1/8 cup honey

1/2 cup sherry vinegar

1/2 cup reserved beet juices from roasting

2-3 tablespoons horseradish sauce

2 teaspoons caraway seeds

1/2 cup walnut oil

salt to taste--taste and adjust for sweet and sour balance

Mix all ingredients together and then whisk or process the oil in a thin stream until the dressing is emulsified.

Pour dressing over beets, mix in and let sit at least two hours--to several days.

Orange Zest Roasted Beets with Horseradish Whipped Cream

(serves 4)

Heat oven to 425F.

Put parchment paper on a cookie sheet

Peel four medium large beets and cut into a medium dice and put on the cookie sheet.

Drizzle with walnut oil, salt, one tablespoon orange zest, and sherry vinegar.

Rub into beets with hands coating all surfaces

Roast for 20 minutes stir and continue to roast at 15 minutes intervals stirring at each until the beets are tender. This takes approx. 50-60 minutes

While the beets are roasting make the horseradish whipped cream

One cup heavy whipping cream

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

Juice from ½ lemon

2 heaping teaspoons prepared horseradish or to taste

Salt to taste

Put cream in a food processor or whip by hand. Be careful not to over whip. Fold in other ingredients after cream is whipped. Taste and adjust flavors.

Serve whipped cream beside the roasted beets

Roasted Beet, Apple and Tomato Soup

Makes 5 cups

Roasting

Ingredients

1 onion /150g chopped

1 large beet / 400g peeled and cut into a medium dice

1 baking apple / 200g chopped

1 cup tomatoes, chopped (fresh or canned)

½ cup /50g celery chopped

1 tablespoon ginger, minced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons fresh thyme, minced or 1 teaspoon dried thyme

Spices: using a spice or coffee grinder, grind into a rough powder

1 teaspoon whole coriander seed

1 teaspoon fennel seed

1 teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon whole peppercorns

¼ teaspoon allspice berries

2 dried bay leaves, crumbled

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay prepared onion, beet, apple and tomatoes together on the baking sheet. Rub spices and salt into the produce and dot with butter. Roast for 25 minutes, stir and continue to roast for 25 to 30 minutes more.

Broth

Ingredients

Beet peelings

Ginger peelings

Celery ends

Parsley stems

Any other veggie or apple scraps available

6 cups water

Directions

On the stovetop, in a medium-sized pot, add straps and water to the pot and bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Strain and use the broth for the soup.

Finishing

Ingredients

2 cups broth

1 teaspoon pickle juice or apple cider vinegar (more if needed)

½ cup sour cream thinned with milk to a cream consistency.