Beets are a root vegetable. Usually when people think of them they think of pickled beets or beet borscht. The greens also can be cooked and are tender, sweet and full of vitamins. (They are richer in iron than spinach.) You get two vegetables in one! However, they do contain high oxalic acid so don’t eat them in excess. Beets are high in vitamins A and C, carbohydrates and minerals. The white beet, better known as the sugar beet, contains eight percent sugar content and is grown for processing into sugar.
Look for fresh greens and a hard root when picking out this vegetable. Store it in the refrigerator, with the tops cut off. (Or you can purchase beets without the tops.) Cooking can lead to the deep-red color bleeding in the water, so do not peel them if you want a neater kitchen. If you do peel them, the red does come off your fingers with lemon, salt or soap and will not stain your clothes. The red coloring comes from betanine. You can steam, boil, roast or simply eat them raw — grating one and adding it to a salad, for example. When cooking beets with their skin on, just squeeze the inside meat right out after they cool a little.
History
It is said that Cleopatra used beets to redden her checks. German farmers in the middle ages cultivated them, and they were widely used in the Mediterranean. The greens were used for medicinal purposes. Because of the cold climate in Russia, beets were cultivated for their long shelf life. Yale beets are used in orange juice. Harvard beets are used in sweet and sour.
Varieties
There are many different varieties of beets to cook with. First, there is the traditional dark-red beet that is round. This variety is usually used for pickled beets. Another red beet is elongated and cylindrical in shape. They also come in orange, yellow, pink and white. Chioggia beets when cut have an appearance of a red and white bull’s eye. They are also milder in flavor. Making dishes from different varieties can be quite colorful.
Recipe
Beet Salad With Ginger-Smoked Trout And Walnuts
3 medium beets with greens
2 tablespoons minced, fresh ginger
1 tablespoon minced shallot
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
Sea salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 pound of smoked trout
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Trim the beets, reserving the greens, and scrub. Add the beets to the pot for for 30 to 40 minutes until tender. While the beets are cooking, sauté the ginger and shallots in the olive oil until softened. Toast the walnuts in a dry skillet until just crisp and aromatic. Remove beets and cool under cold water. Leave the water in the pot, simmering. Slip off the skins and medium dice. Place in a large bowl with the mixture and add a tablespoon of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar and 2 tablespoons of orange juice. Salt and pepper to taste. Boil the greens in water until tender — about four minutes. Drain in a colander and squeeze out as mush liquid as possible. Put in salad bowls. Mix all together, scatter smoked trout then sprinkle the walnuts on top. Serves 3 to 4.
Pamela Boyar has been working with organic farmers for 23 years. She started a fresh-pressed juice company in 1980 and in 1986 began distributing organically grown produce directly from the farmers to the restaurants in California. Committed to support and promote the small family farm, she’s currently the director of Westlake Farmers Market, which she established in 1997. It’s the highest grossing farmers’ market in Texas. To find out more, visit www.westlakefarmersmarket.com.
