The Beet Goes On . . .

Text and Photos by: FÜSUN ATALAY ~ Copyright 2007

"The beet is the most intense of vegetables. The radish admittedly is more feverish, but the fire of the radish is a cold fire, the fire of discontent, not of passion. Tomatoes are lusty enough, yet there runs through tomatoes an undercurrent of frivolity. Beets are deadly serious."

~ Tom Robbins ~

Easy to prepare, delicious to eat, beats are a great bargain when you buy them with their greens attached. Many of us think of only the beet roots, pickled or boiled as a side dish, when we speak of beets. But did you know that you can also use the greens in many ways ?

Consider yourself getting a two-for-one deal when you buy beets with their green tops attached because you can use both the leaves and the roots in separate recipes. Beat greens are very much like Swiss chard; so treat them the same in cooking. Chop the tougher red stems into 2 cm pieces, saute an onion in a little oil and add the chopped stems. After about ten minutes, add the chopped greens, 1/4 cup of liquid, a pinch of salt and cook for another ten minutes

Surprisingly, neither the stems nor the leaves lose much of their color during the cooking process and you end up with a nutritious, vibrant green and red cooked vegetable to serve with chicken, meat or eggs; or use as a filling to replace spinach in phyllo pastry.

roots are just as versatile as the greens. They can be baked, boiled, braised, pickled, roasted, steamed or used raw in salads. Roasting in their skins keeps their natural sweetness and color intact. Wrap each beet in foil, place on a baking sheet and bake in a 400 degree oven for about 40 minutes.

After they have cooled, you can rub the skins off by holding the beet between a paper towel or using a paring knife.

Now the possibilities are many. A little drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of sea salt turns these ruby red jewels, diced or sliced, into a perfect side dish.

Raw or cooked, beets lend themselves to many stunning salad recipes that look as good on the plate as they taste on the palate. Grated or sliced they pair favorably with Feta or blue cheese; pecans or walnuts; fresh mint, dill or coriander. Red onions or scallions give them a zing and orange, lime or lemon juice, as well as balsamic vinegar emulsified with olive oil offer a light vinaigrette. Sliced apples, pears, orange segments love to appear next to these intensely colored vegetables on a bed of endives or bib lettuce

Then there is Borscht.

Although there are many variations of this Eastern European Jewish dish, borscht is basically a simple broth-based soup mixed with diced beets cooked in their liquid, citrus juice, salt, fresh herbs, chopped onions and a dollop of sour cream.

I like serving my own version of cold borscht in the summer. With the addition of plain yogurt, chicken broth , chopped cucumbers, scallion and fresh dill it makes a light, nourishing and refreshing soup— a perfect food for the hot summer days.

You can find many recipes on the web, in cook books or magazines showing how to use these versatile roots and their greens. From soups to salads to even chocolate cakes, beets are indeed tough to beat.

Summer Borscht Serves 6

4 medium fresh beets
2 teaspoons sea salt
2 cups fat-free chicken stock
1-1/2 cups beet cooking liquid
1 cup plain yogurt
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 English cucumber, peeled and diced
2 scallions, chopped
1 Tablespoon fresh coriander, chopped
5 sprigs fresh dill

Cook beets in a large pot of water for 30 to 40 minutes or until the beets are tender. Remove the beets to a bowl and set aside to cool. Strain the cooking liquid through a fine sieve and allow to cool.

In a large bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups of the beet cooking liquid, the chicken stock, yogurt, sugar, lime juice, salt, and the pepper.

Peel and dice cooled beets. Add the beets, cucumber, coriander, dill and scallions to the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 4 to 8 hours. Adjust seasoning, stir and serve cold with a sprig of fresh dill.

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