Available year-round like many other root vegetables, beets are at their best in midsummer. What other vegetable can you think of with 55 or fewer calories per cup? One no-fat cup of cooked beets also offers more than 3 grams of fiber and a good helping of folate, magnesium and potassium. Small ones are generally more tender than large ones. Buy them with greens attached, but remove all except 1 inch of the stems when you get them home. Store them in the refrigerator. When ready to use, wash gently so as not to damage the thin skin and make them “bleed” color or nutrients. If beets are a little too earthy for you, these recipes may change your mind. Try one at your next picnic or backyard barbecue.
Available year-round like many other root vegetables, beets are at their best in midsummer. What other vegetable can you think of with 55 or fewer calories per cup? One no-fat cup of cooked beets also offers more than 3 grams of fiber and a good helping of folate, magnesium and potassium. Small ones are generally more tender than large ones. Buy them with greens attached, but remove all except 1 inch of the stems when you get them home. Store them in the refrigerator. When ready to use, wash gently so as not to damage the thin skin and make them “bleed” color or nutrients. If beets are a little too earthy for you, these recipes may change your mind. Try one at your next picnic or backyard barbecue.
Chilled beet gazpacho
Brilliant in color and easy to make, this tangy soup offers a refreshing first course. Recipe from “Vegetable Harvest” by Patricia Wells; makes 4 servings.
2 large beets (about 1 pound), scrubbed
4 plump, moist cloves garlic, peeled, halved, green part removed, minced
1 onion, peeled, halved, and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon imported French mustard
1 tablespoon sherry wine vinegar
Fine sea salt
Several teaspoons finely minced fresh chives for garnish
Chill four shallow soup bowls while you make the soup. Steam the beets: Bring 1 quart water to a simmer in the bottom of a steamer. Place beets on the steaming rack. Place rack over simmering water, cover and steam until beets can be pierced with a sharp knife, about 20 minutes for baby beets and up to an hour for larger beets. Drain; let cool just long enough to handle. Slip off peels with a sharp knife and cut off root end; dice beets. In a food processor or blender, combine beets, garlic, onion, mustard, vinegar and 2 cups cold water. Process thoroughly to blend to a smooth puree. Taste for seasoning. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours. At serving time, reblend the soup; taste again for seasoning. Ladle into chilled soup bowl and garnish with chives.
Balsamic beets
According to Andrew Schloss, author of “Almost From Scratch,” boiling beets makes their sugars dissolve in the liquid, leaving behind an earthy flavor rather than beets’ natural sweetness. Baking or microwaving will keep the sugars from getting washed away, retaining more natural sweetness. This simple recipe proves the point; makes 4 servings
1 pound fresh beets
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Salt and black pepper to taste
Cut leaves and stems from beets, leaving about an inch of stems. Wash beets to remove any surface dirt; leave wet. Snap off the “tail.” Place in a microwave-safe dish, cover loosely, and microwave on high for 12 to 15 minutes, until beets are tender. Combine honey, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper in a bowl. When beets are cooked, run them under cold water until cool enough to handle. Cut stem end from each beet, slip off the skins, quarter beets and toss with the honey-balsamic mixture. Serve.
Snow peas and beets with Szechwan pepper
Call it a salad or a side dish, this colorful concoction is unusual and delicious. Recipe from “The Greens CookBook” by Deborah Madison; makes 4 to 6 small servings.
8 ounces trimmed beets, red or golden or both
6 ounces snow peas
Salt
1 tablespoon Szechuan peppercorns
6 black peppercorns
1⁄2 bunch scallions
2 teaspoons chives, sliced into narrow rounds
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar or Champagne vinegar
3 tablespoons light olive or light sesame oil
Put beets in a baking dish with 1⁄4 inch of water; cover and bake 25 to 45 minutes, until tender but somewhat firm. Set aside to cool. Trim both ends of peas; pull off strings. Bring a pan of water to boil, add a teaspoon salt, and blanch peas for 1 minute. Drain in a colander; rinse briefly in cool water, then lay peas out on a clean kitchen towel to dry. Roast both types of peppercorns in a small heavy frying pan over low heat until they are fragrant and begin to smoke, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from pan and grind them to a powder with a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder. Set aside.
Slice scallions. Combine vinegar and oil and season to taste with salt. When beets are cool, skin them, trim ends and slice them into wedges or rounds. Keep different colored beets separate or they will bleed together. Toss beets with part of the dressing, add half the scallions and season to taste with ground peppers. Dress peas with remaining vinaigrette just before serving and season with remaining scallions, half the chives and ground peppers to taste. Serve the vegetables in separate mounds and garnish with remaining chives.
Warm beet salad with wilted greens
Marie Simmons, author of “Fresh and Fast,” serves this side dish with meatloaf; makes 4 servings, either warm or at room temperature.
1 1⁄2 pounds beets
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
4 cups large pieces of torn beet greens or dark outside leaves romaine lettuce
1 scallion, trimmed and cut into 1⁄4 inch-thick diagonal slices
1 small tender inside celery rib, cut into 1⁄4 inch-thick diagonal slices
Trim tops from beets, leaving about 2 inches stem attached. If tops are young and tender, trim the long stems, rinse thoroughly and add to romaine leaves. Cook beets in boiling, salted water to cover until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain; set aside until cool enough to handle. Peel off skins; cut into 1-inch chunks. In a large bowl, whisk 3 tablespoons of the oil, 2 tablespoons of the vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. Add beets; toss to coat and set aside.
Place washed romaine leaves or beet tops in a large skillet with lid. Turn heat to medium; when mixture begins to steam, uncover and stir. Drain off excess liquid. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil, 2 teaspoons vinegar to skillet; toss to coat and season to taste. Spread leaves in an even layer on platter. Add scallion and celery to beet mixture; toss and spoon onto cooked greens. Serve warm or at room temperature.