BEETS
Beets are an awesome way to add some vibrant color to meals. People often think beets taste like dirt, but we’ve found that the “dirty” taste comes from the skin. Use a paring knife or a vegetable peeler to peel them. If you’re still unsure about their flavor, try shredding them and adding them to a slaw. The greens can be used in salads, stir fries, or can be wilted on top of any dish.
STORAGE: Remove greens. The root is the energy source of the whole plant, and even though we like to include the greens attached, the greens draw nutrients from the roots as they store. Keep roots in a closed container or plastic bag in the fridge. Roots like a humid environment, and will keep for 4-6 months if stored correctly.
PRESERVATION: Pickle or ferment.
RECIPES:
Roasted Beet and Endive Salad w/ Sweet Vinaigrette
2-4 beets (root and what’s left of the stem trimmed, left whole)
head of endive (crown trimmed and cut into 1/2 in strips)
Heat oven to 425. Put whole beets in a roasting dish with a lid, or wrap in tin foil and roast. The idea is to steam them so they stay moist. Roast for about 40 minutes, or until a fork pierces the beets without resistance. Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette below and cut the endive. Toss the endive in some of the vinaigrette. Taste it and add more if you want. When the beets are done, take out of the oven and let rest. After about 10-15 minutes, the skin should peel off really easy. Cut the beets into little bite sized pieces and toss them into the endive. Add more dressing and some salt.
Sweet Vinaigrette
1 c olive oil
1/2 c balsamic or red wine vinegar
2 T yogurt or mayo
2 T mustard (you can use any kind but dijon or brown is real nice)
3T maple syrup
salt and pepper to taste
Blend with an immersion blender
Root Rosette
2-3 beets (cut super thin into rounds - we used a mandoline but you can use a knife)
2-3 potatoes (cut super thin into rounds)
1-2 shallots or garlic cloves (minced)
2 T butter
Parmesean
1/2 c veggie or chicken stock/broth
Heat oven to 325 F. Cut the beets and potatoes and arrange in a cast iron pan (or other pan that can go in the oven). Add the butter on top and sprinkle with the garlic or shallots. Add broth and cover with foil or a lid. Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until a fork can puncture the roots. Uncover, top with grated cheese, and broil until the cheese starts to blister.
Roasted Beets with Rosemary and Garlic
Beets (peeled and cut into chunks)
3 cloves garlic (minced or crushed)
1 tbsp rosemary -if using dry, use 1 tsp (finely chopped)
Salt and black pepper to taste
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Mix together the garlic, rosemary, olive oil and salt and pepper. In a bowl, place the beets and toss them with the herb-olive-oil mixture.
Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet, (coated with aluminum foil to make cleanup easier) and roast 35-40 minutes or until the beets are fork tender and golden. Stir once or twice during roasting to make sure they cook evenly.
Serve hot or cold.
Beet Margaritas!!
This Tropics-meets-Wisco margarita is vibrant and has more body than the classic lime margarita. Us northerners gotta use what we have! Unfortunately, the use of a juicer is key, so if you don’t have a juicer, maybe someone else does and you can make a batch together!
2 oz pure agave tequila
1 oz lime juice
2 oz beet juice (made ahead of time in a juicer)
Seltzer
salt for rim (a courser salt is ideal)
Basil or mint garnish
Salt the rim of a pint glass. To do this, we pour a thin layer of salt onto a saucer and rub a lime slice or just our fingers with water along rim of the glass, dipping the rim into the salt. (The salt isn’t necessary, but it does nicely balance the sweetness of the beets.) Once the rim is salted, add tequila, lime juice, and beet juice. Fill with ice, top with seltzer, and garnish.