Underrated in America: Beets
Filed under: Food
My mom always loved beets, and, as a picky child, I disliked so many of her favorite dishes (yams with butter and tomato slices with mayonnaise spring to mind) that beets were only one more mystery of adulthood. Why? Would I, too, like beets one day? Impossible! I thought then and well into my twenties (after which I had turned onto tomatoes, mayonnaise, yams, and a raft of other foods the six-year-old me thought "yucky") that beets were just terrible.I was not alone in my dislike of beets. 99.9% of people in the U.S. today have a loved one who hates beets. [Note: I made this statistic up. But it's true, I swear, my husband says they taste like mold and I'm a freakin' awesome chef.] Beets are probably the most-maligned vegetable out there. But as I have learned in my quest for local, seasonable deliciousness, beets are underrated for a number of reasons:
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- Beets grow virtually year-round, so you can find them fresh in the middle of winter at your farmer's market.
- Beets are pretty, cooked and sliced, and come in a variety of gorgeous colors so your salad looks like Chagall seen through a kaleidoscope.
- Beets are easy to grow in the garden, so you can save major cash on your veggies.
- Beets are really good for you.
- Beets are a snap to cook (and no peeling!). Cut off the tops, stick 'em in a crock with a little water, put 'em in the oven and wait an hour. Slide the skins off, slice, eat.
- Beets taste great with goat cheese. I love excuses to eat more goat cheese.
- Beets are economical; you can eat the root and the greens.
- Beets are an essential ingredient to borscht, which is delicious.
- Beets are trendy!
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
10-30-2008 @ 6:31AM
Robin said...
You go, girl. Beets are fantastic vegetables. Of course, I was one of those unusual kids who loved vegetables like beets and spinach. My sister still won't eat either of these veggies today.
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10-30-2008 @ 6:04PM
Ameybw said...
Okay, after reading this I'll try beets again (thanks for telling me how to cook them!) But I still think I won't like them... And exactly what do you do with the greens?
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10-30-2008 @ 11:10AM
Susan said...
You boil the greens as you would the beet.
My favorite way to cook beets is to boil the whole beet with the greens until tender and soft. Drain the water. Peel the beets and save the greens. Slice the beets or chop into bite size pieces. Put in some butter,sugar, vinegar, use enough of each to give you some sauce.Thicken with corn starch if desired. Pour over beets and greens simmer for 15 mins. Taste for and season for your liking. I like it kind of tangy.So adjust for the sweet or sour the way you like. By the way the first time I made these my husband looked at me with disgust and asked what the hell is it. Now he loves them this way and wants them at least once a week. They are good and very cheap to buy and make.Try them you'll love them.
10-30-2008 @ 10:36AM
SC said...
I absolutely LOVE beets!
I especially love them cooked in vinegar.
And I do the same with spinach.
Try it!!
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10-30-2008 @ 1:39PM
Rob said...
Home grown beets, or the "organic" ones from the store really do tast better than the regular, commercial ones. Also, at the high elevation where I live, 20 minutes in the pressure cooker with a quart of water cooks them perfectly.
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10-30-2008 @ 11:44AM
spad said...
If the clock is ticking and you have not a lot of time, keep some canned beets and served them with either sour cream or ricotta cheese with oregano and pepper to taste. You can also add basil and sesame seeds to change the routine or add a little twist.
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10-30-2008 @ 12:22PM
Bonnie said...
Beets are yummy. I simmer for around an hour and then run under cold water and the skin comes right off in my hand, Put in bowl and add butter or whatever you like. They are sweet and delicious.
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10-30-2008 @ 11:56AM
vel said...
I like diced raw beets in a toss salad
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10-30-2008 @ 12:00PM
vel said...
Harvard beets and fried beets are delicicous
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10-30-2008 @ 12:16PM
Karen Stone said...
My mother used to cream the beet greens and I remember loving them as a child. The leaves were so tender with a very mild and delicious flavor in the white sauce. White sauce is made with butter, flour, salt and milk. Any basic cookbook will have the recipe. It is prepared on the stove and thickens as it's stirred and then is poured over the cooked and drained greens.
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11-09-2008 @ 11:24AM
Mike G said...
I always liked those canned beets that are pickled. They have vinegar and are sweet too. The plain ones are too plain, but maybe that's an acquired taste. Now, after reading these posts, I'll have to try beet greens, since I like all kinds of greens.
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11-09-2008 @ 12:32PM
DanGarion said...
I only like beets if I can get them from my favorite farm, Shrute Beet Farm!
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11-09-2008 @ 8:01PM
Lynda Gage said...
I hate beets, but after reading this article, and the other comments, I am going to give them a try with a little cheese, oil and vinegar. They are supposed to very good for your health and maybe I'll finally be able to eat them and enjoy them! So glad I came across this article and the other comments on said article. Thanks!
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11-09-2008 @ 11:53PM
Maria Christiansen said...
I haven't tried preparing beets any of the ways mentioned, but I swear by adding beets to my morning juice concoction..it detoxifies the system and adds a taste like hawaiian punch to my mixture. In juicer push thru hopper..one beet, 1/4-1/2 inch slice ginger root, 2 apples, 3 carrots and 1 stalk celery, for an every day healthful cancer fighting and energy promoting mix! Add deep colored greens..such as beet leaves and all the better!
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