beet it! (yes, that's awful, isn't it?)
March 12, 2010 1:58 PM Subscribe
What to do with all these beets?
The organic veg box came with nearly 2lbs of beets...it's just little old me. What to do with them? I have already made a batch of lip stain. My family didn't "do" beets so I'm lost.
I'm thinking of trying to make some borscht, but then I thought the Hive Mind might have something more interesting or at least a recommended recipe.
Expect another "vegetable x" question next week.
The organic veg box came with nearly 2lbs of beets...it's just little old me. What to do with them? I have already made a batch of lip stain. My family didn't "do" beets so I'm lost.
I'm thinking of trying to make some borscht, but then I thought the Hive Mind might have something more interesting or at least a recommended recipe.
Expect another "vegetable x" question next week.
My grandmother-in-law used to make delicious pickled beets. I don't know her recipe, but here are some to check out if you're interested.
posted by amyms at 2:03 PM on March 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by amyms at 2:03 PM on March 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I bake them in tin foil (424 for 45 to 60 minutes I think, it's in Bittman's book) and throw them directly in the fridge, to be peeled and cut up when needed. Then I put them on anything that needs color. They are best on an arugula salad with goat cheese, though.
posted by These Premises Are Alarmed at 2:04 PM on March 12, 2010 [7 favorites]
posted by These Premises Are Alarmed at 2:04 PM on March 12, 2010 [7 favorites]
wrap in foil. roast for about 45 minutes. nom.
posted by youcancallmeal at 2:05 PM on March 12, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by youcancallmeal at 2:05 PM on March 12, 2010 [2 favorites]
A really simple and nice salad: cook a couple beets by roasting them (wrap 'em in tinfoil, throw 'em in an oven for about an hour), let them cool and then peel them (this should be easy).
Then, just coarsely grate them, toss with a splash of oil and vinegar and serve them as a salad just like that.
The borscht recipe I have takes a similar "roast first, then grate" approach, so you could just do them all thusly and save half for the borscht and the other half for the salad.
Also - save the beet greens! These can be chopped and sauteed separately -- toss with pasta for a simple meal, or top the borscht with them.
(I am emailing you something else that's not a recipe, but may also be good to know.)
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 2:07 PM on March 12, 2010
Then, just coarsely grate them, toss with a splash of oil and vinegar and serve them as a salad just like that.
The borscht recipe I have takes a similar "roast first, then grate" approach, so you could just do them all thusly and save half for the borscht and the other half for the salad.
Also - save the beet greens! These can be chopped and sauteed separately -- toss with pasta for a simple meal, or top the borscht with them.
(I am emailing you something else that's not a recipe, but may also be good to know.)
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 2:07 PM on March 12, 2010
Mark Bittman has lots of ideas for beets.
You can also pickle them.
posted by donovan at 2:08 PM on March 12, 2010
You can also pickle them.
posted by donovan at 2:08 PM on March 12, 2010
wrap in foil. roast for about 45 minutes. nom.
Yes yes this is delicious! Oh man I love beets.
Once they're cooked, you can peel and chop them, and throw them in salads or sandwiches.
Or, mix them with a bit of butter and maple syrup and roast them on high for a bit longer, then serve them as a side dish. I did that at Christmas dinner this year.
Or, you can peel and chop them first, and toss them in stews or chilis. They taste great and they turn the chili colour to an irresistible rich magenta. Or you can throw them in stir frys. They add heartiness, like potatoes.
posted by PercussivePaul at 2:12 PM on March 12, 2010
Yes yes this is delicious! Oh man I love beets.
Once they're cooked, you can peel and chop them, and throw them in salads or sandwiches.
Or, mix them with a bit of butter and maple syrup and roast them on high for a bit longer, then serve them as a side dish. I did that at Christmas dinner this year.
Or, you can peel and chop them first, and toss them in stews or chilis. They taste great and they turn the chili colour to an irresistible rich magenta. Or you can throw them in stir frys. They add heartiness, like potatoes.
posted by PercussivePaul at 2:12 PM on March 12, 2010
Best answer: I'm not a beet root lover by any means, but I love a fresh beet root salad (something like this). Crunchy, exotic, and definitely not slimy or mushy. Key to its success is a nice, creamy feta, something to add a bit of sweetness (apple, pear, pineapple, orange), and some sort of leafy goodness. Walnuts are a bonus.
posted by brambory at 2:13 PM on March 12, 2010
posted by brambory at 2:13 PM on March 12, 2010
I can eat a large amount of beets if they're shredded raw and piled onto a green salad with plenty of shredded carrot, sliced cucumber, sunflower seeds, sprouts and a miso or tahini dressing. They're less cloyingly sweet raw.
I don't envy you your loo-ward glances.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 2:22 PM on March 12, 2010
I don't envy you your loo-ward glances.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 2:22 PM on March 12, 2010
use lamb shanks in your borscht and then you will be all "whoa".
posted by mckenney at 2:22 PM on March 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by mckenney at 2:22 PM on March 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
Chocolate cake (with beets) for your family. They won't taste the beets; the beets just make the cake nice and moist. Here's the link to Apartment Therapy's Velvety Beet and Cocoa Cake.
posted by cranberryskies at 2:25 PM on March 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by cranberryskies at 2:25 PM on March 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
Here's Bittman's salad #53 (from here) that has a very earthy taste that you may not like, but I served it a few months ago at the office potluck to rave reviews:
posted by dw at 2:28 PM on March 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
Peel beets and grate them in a food processor. Mix equal parts plain yogurt and tahini, and toss with the beets along with lemon juice and za’atar (a mixture of toasted sesame seeds, dried green herbs and ground sumac; you can make it yourself using dried thyme).I prefer the salad with roasted then chilled beets, but raw is fine too.
posted by dw at 2:28 PM on March 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
I vote beet carpaccio. Beets strangely retain all that punch-in-the-mouth flavor when sliced really, really thin.
posted by four panels at 2:28 PM on March 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by four panels at 2:28 PM on March 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
Oops, here's a link with a recipe containing non-canned beets.
posted by cranberryskies at 2:29 PM on March 12, 2010
posted by cranberryskies at 2:29 PM on March 12, 2010
Peel two or three beets, a yam, a potato, and a purple turnip or two. Cut into chunks of about an inch, inch-and-a-half. Toss in olive oil and rosemary, salt and freshly ground pepper, maybe some garlic powder. Roast covered at 375 for and hour or so, then uncovered for 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and let them sit for a few minutes before transferring to a bowl, splash with balsamic vinegar. Great alone or with a roast leg of lamb or roast chicken. Thanks for reminding me of this yummy dish which has now been added to this weekend's menu.
posted by longsleeves at 2:33 PM on March 12, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by longsleeves at 2:33 PM on March 12, 2010 [2 favorites]
Boil until you can cut them with not much pressure and a butter knife, peel, slice into pieces maybe a quarter inch or so thick, and marinate overnight in balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, lemon juice, herbes de provence (optional) and maybe a little bit of olive oil; consume as side dish or entree.
posted by phoenixy at 2:38 PM on March 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by phoenixy at 2:38 PM on March 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
You can grate raw beets and basically make a beet version of a latke. Mix your grated beets with a tablespoon or so of flour, salt, and chopped rosemary, maybe some onion, form into spoonful-sized flat cakes. Then fry them in a pan with oil or butter until they get all crispy. Drain them on paper towels and serve them with sour cream.
It will stain everything pink, but be completely delicious, all sweet and savory and crunchy and gooey and hot. You can keep a few in the fridge and heat them back up in the oven later that day, too. It's a different texture than the usual roasted beet thing, and while it's not the best for you, the vitamin punch of the beets lets me, at least, feel relatively guiltless about it.
You can roast a chicken with beets, just cut them up small, and glaze your chicken with complimentary flavors, like honey and fennel, or maybe mustard and tarragon, and don't be shocked when your chicken is an unearthly color. That's part of the fun, anyway.
posted by Mizu at 2:38 PM on March 12, 2010
It will stain everything pink, but be completely delicious, all sweet and savory and crunchy and gooey and hot. You can keep a few in the fridge and heat them back up in the oven later that day, too. It's a different texture than the usual roasted beet thing, and while it's not the best for you, the vitamin punch of the beets lets me, at least, feel relatively guiltless about it.
You can roast a chicken with beets, just cut them up small, and glaze your chicken with complimentary flavors, like honey and fennel, or maybe mustard and tarragon, and don't be shocked when your chicken is an unearthly color. That's part of the fun, anyway.
posted by Mizu at 2:38 PM on March 12, 2010
If you regularly end up with a surplus of vegetables to use, you should check out the Victory Garden Cookbook. Every chapter tackles a different vegetable, with a plethora of recipes ranging from appetizers and salads to main dishes to desserts, as well as suggestions for how to prepare and gussy it up as a side dish.
posted by DrGail at 2:39 PM on March 12, 2010
posted by DrGail at 2:39 PM on March 12, 2010
Borsh is awesome. Eating thin slice of cooked beets on labnah/goat cheese open faced sandwiches is great. Integrating them with other roast vegetables (potatoes, sweet potatoes, pasrnips, onions, etc) is delicious. For something more labor intensive, I love the Russian salad vinegret. This is a good recipe for it.
Also, I'd recommend against beet cake, because I once tried and had disastrous results with it. But, YMMV.
posted by mustcatchmooseandsquirrel at 2:43 PM on March 12, 2010
Also, I'd recommend against beet cake, because I once tried and had disastrous results with it. But, YMMV.
posted by mustcatchmooseandsquirrel at 2:43 PM on March 12, 2010
I love this beet risotto with horseradish cream. Uses both the beets and the greens.
posted by amelioration at 2:44 PM on March 12, 2010
posted by amelioration at 2:44 PM on March 12, 2010
Do you have a mandoline, food processor, box grater or a really sharp knife? I'm learning to like beets, bit by bit, and I find that mixing them with root veggies that I do like helps a lot.
If you roast a whole chicken, or some chicken parts, on top of a bed of shredded/minced/sliced veggies,you get something that's lovely on its own, or can be used in a bunch of other recipes. I'll be putting this week's veggies (beets, carrots, sweet potato, onion and spinach) into a beef and barley stew.
posted by maudlin at 2:44 PM on March 12, 2010
If you roast a whole chicken, or some chicken parts, on top of a bed of shredded/minced/sliced veggies,you get something that's lovely on its own, or can be used in a bunch of other recipes. I'll be putting this week's veggies (beets, carrots, sweet potato, onion and spinach) into a beef and barley stew.
posted by maudlin at 2:44 PM on March 12, 2010
I was going to suggest roasted beets or a salad, but since those have been mentioned I'll just remind you that beets stain everything. Wear gloves when peeling beets. If you do roast them whole, you can easily peel the beets by rubbing it in a towel you don't care about, or with a paper towel, though that takes a little more time. Others have alluded to this, but beets will also color your feces and urine, so don't think you're dying when this happens.
posted by runningwithscissors at 2:47 PM on March 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by runningwithscissors at 2:47 PM on March 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
I don't like beets, but my partner is crazy for them. Basically they are a root vegetable and you can do anything you'd do with turnips, potatoes, carrots, celery root, .... except of course that they stain like whoa. (That stain is a chemical that is actually really, really good for you.)
Actually, I did like it when she made "beet browns" by shredding and frying them like hash browns. Some onion, some olive oil, a nice hot cast iron pan... salt, pepper. Now that was tasty.
I'm hungry.
posted by seanmpuckett at 3:06 PM on March 12, 2010 [3 favorites]
Actually, I did like it when she made "beet browns" by shredding and frying them like hash browns. Some onion, some olive oil, a nice hot cast iron pan... salt, pepper. Now that was tasty.
I'm hungry.
posted by seanmpuckett at 3:06 PM on March 12, 2010 [3 favorites]
If you cut them before baking, they won't stain the cutting board or your hands.
Toss the roasted beets with a mild vinaigrette and serve with goat cheese. One of my new addictions is a beet sandwich: soft multigrain bread, goat cheese, caramelized onions, arugula and I think some kind of vinaigrette. Insanely delicious.
If you aren't used to eating beets, don't be alarmed if you see evidence in the toilet in the next day or two. It doesn't happen to everyone, but it can be fairly shocking if it does affect you.
posted by barnone at 3:10 PM on March 12, 2010 [2 favorites]
Toss the roasted beets with a mild vinaigrette and serve with goat cheese. One of my new addictions is a beet sandwich: soft multigrain bread, goat cheese, caramelized onions, arugula and I think some kind of vinaigrette. Insanely delicious.
If you aren't used to eating beets, don't be alarmed if you see evidence in the toilet in the next day or two. It doesn't happen to everyone, but it can be fairly shocking if it does affect you.
posted by barnone at 3:10 PM on March 12, 2010 [2 favorites]
I love beets and buy whole bunches regularly. Here's my minimal effort method: I separate the tops from the roots and soak both in a tall ceramic container of cold water until I am ready to work with them. Scrub the roots, pick them up by the tap root and set them into a crock pot. Make Hibiscus tea and pour the tea over the beets. Add a couple of packages of dry pomegranite powder and some meyer lemon paste. Let it crock pot until the roots are really tender. The liquid is tasty hot or cold.
The roots are so tender after lots of cooking, they can easily be sliced or grated. They have a great tart flavor from the broth I cooked them in and Wasabi, powdered or paste, is a great accent. The roots will keep for a while in the fridge.
The greens are still in the cold water, and they have taken on a lot of the cold water through the stems so they are nice and crispy versus limp. I snip them with the kitchen scissors into a bath of wash water and spin dry. The tiny leaves go in salad mixes and the large ones get sauteed in olive oil with some balsamic or black rice vinegar.
posted by effluvia at 3:17 PM on March 12, 2010
The roots are so tender after lots of cooking, they can easily be sliced or grated. They have a great tart flavor from the broth I cooked them in and Wasabi, powdered or paste, is a great accent. The roots will keep for a while in the fridge.
The greens are still in the cold water, and they have taken on a lot of the cold water through the stems so they are nice and crispy versus limp. I snip them with the kitchen scissors into a bath of wash water and spin dry. The tiny leaves go in salad mixes and the large ones get sauteed in olive oil with some balsamic or black rice vinegar.
posted by effluvia at 3:17 PM on March 12, 2010
This is the recipe I use for chocolate beet cake. It is magnificent and a great conversation piece since it doesn't taste beety, but just like a very interesting flavorful chocolate cake.
This is the beet risotto that I made to impress my now-wife when we first met.
These will take care of your beet problem and rock your world.
posted by xueexueg at 5:09 PM on March 12, 2010
This is the beet risotto that I made to impress my now-wife when we first met.
These will take care of your beet problem and rock your world.
posted by xueexueg at 5:09 PM on March 12, 2010
You can always hide them in chili, pasta sauce, etc. if your family really refuses to eat them. But they are just being silly. Beets are great!
posted by rikschell at 5:12 PM on March 12, 2010
posted by rikschell at 5:12 PM on March 12, 2010
beet raviolis! puree the beet and mix them into the pasta dough mix, fill raviolis with goat cheese, ricotta and mint. fan-tastic.
posted by assasinatdbeauty at 7:15 PM on March 12, 2010
posted by assasinatdbeauty at 7:15 PM on March 12, 2010
Roasted beets, either served warm or sliced and put in a salad, are my favourite. And yeah, like runningwithscissors says, it really does make the colour of your urine quite curious.
If you have a juicer, try beet juice (or beet-carrot-apple juice).
Ideas I haven't tried but look tasty:
Beet chips (only tried commercially made ones)
Put beets in pickled eggs.
More ideas on Tastespotting including beet hummus.
posted by SarahbytheSea at 8:12 PM on March 12, 2010
If you have a juicer, try beet juice (or beet-carrot-apple juice).
Ideas I haven't tried but look tasty:
Beet chips (only tried commercially made ones)
Put beets in pickled eggs.
More ideas on Tastespotting including beet hummus.
posted by SarahbytheSea at 8:12 PM on March 12, 2010
High Noon beet burgers! The best veggie burgers I've ever had. (They're seriously incredible).
posted by inkytea at 8:19 PM on March 12, 2010
posted by inkytea at 8:19 PM on March 12, 2010
xueexueg and cranberryskies are right, beets go really well in chocolate cake.
posted by Joad at 10:47 PM on March 12, 2010
posted by Joad at 10:47 PM on March 12, 2010
Mashed with butter and goat cheese.
But the best is Deeper n' Ever pie. Another version (but also delicious with no topping). (If you have kids and they are into Redwall or were this will help.)
Also...cut into strips and baked like fries with aioli. Yum.
posted by eleanna at 11:20 PM on March 12, 2010
But the best is Deeper n' Ever pie. Another version (but also delicious with no topping). (If you have kids and they are into Redwall or were this will help.)
Also...cut into strips and baked like fries with aioli. Yum.
posted by eleanna at 11:20 PM on March 12, 2010
I am absolutely mad for beets, to the detriment of my kitchen counters, cutting boards, everything. Here is my big tip: Green apples are delicious with beets. I like to make salads with either roasted chunks of beet or grated raw beet, with slices or chunks of green apple, toasted nuts (usually walnuts) and a white wine vinegar, mustard, tarragon dressing. If I'm being lazy, I just s and p them and add a drizzle of balsamic and olive oil. Then, I eat some of them every time I open the freaking fridge. Seriously.
Also, when peeling roasted beets, the easiest thing to do is wrap them up in a dish towel and give a gentle rub/squeeze. The skins will pop right off.
posted by Polyhymnia at 11:28 PM on March 12, 2010
Also, when peeling roasted beets, the easiest thing to do is wrap them up in a dish towel and give a gentle rub/squeeze. The skins will pop right off.
posted by Polyhymnia at 11:28 PM on March 12, 2010
They're really good roasted, as mentioned above (put them on some foil, toss with salt, pepper, and olive oil, and wrap up in a pouch; roast at 350 degrees F for about an hour until fork tender, let cool, and then peel), and then diced and added to cold or room-temp. pasta salad. I just made Macrina Bakery's recipe for this last week and it was delicious; specifically, it called for al dente-cooked and cooled orrecchiette pasta (super good but any shape similar you like such as farfalle or conchiglie will do, maybe even tortellini), sliced fennel (yum), ribbon-sliced radicchio, scallions, fresh parsley, toasted almonds (key), and those roasted beets, dressed in a lemon-Dijon vinaigrette (pretty standard but also included a bit of honey and red wine vinegar, very tasty). It was wonderful and just got better over the next 2 days. And it's a lovely salad to boot (here are two personal pics of mine from FB if allowed mods). You could add or omit ingredients as you like, obvy. It was a nice idea for beets I wasn't at all familiar with.
I'm also planning to make Simon Rimmer's spicy beet and coconut soup soon--thought it'd be a nice change of pace from the usual (but delicious too, don't get me wrong) fruity-cool and savory-warm borschts. I just got this cookbook it's from used a couple weeks ago and so far it's been fun, so hopefully it's a decent recipe!
posted by ifjuly at 9:14 AM on March 13, 2010
I'm also planning to make Simon Rimmer's spicy beet and coconut soup soon--thought it'd be a nice change of pace from the usual (but delicious too, don't get me wrong) fruity-cool and savory-warm borschts. I just got this cookbook it's from used a couple weeks ago and so far it's been fun, so hopefully it's a decent recipe!
posted by ifjuly at 9:14 AM on March 13, 2010
Best answer: One of our local farms has an excellent "What do I do with Vegetable X?" recipe site. Beets are here.
posted by judith at 10:33 AM on March 13, 2010
posted by judith at 10:33 AM on March 13, 2010
Beet hummus. I saw the recipe somewhere online a week ago but now my google is failing me (that and I'm on the iPhone). It might have been on Simple Recipes or maybe 101 Cookbooks.
posted by LOLAttorney2009 at 11:15 AM on March 13, 2010
posted by LOLAttorney2009 at 11:15 AM on March 13, 2010
I was going to come in here to suggest the hummus LOLAttorney2009 mentioned, here's the link. I haven't tried it, but it looks awesome.
My fave beet dish is a salad with the following: grated beets, garlic (I like lots), chopped walnuts, and mayo. Salt/pepper as you wish. Delish!
posted by theRussian at 4:02 PM on March 13, 2010
My fave beet dish is a salad with the following: grated beets, garlic (I like lots), chopped walnuts, and mayo. Salt/pepper as you wish. Delish!
posted by theRussian at 4:02 PM on March 13, 2010
My friend recommended me this recipe for beets with walnut-garlic sauce over a year ago, but I haven't tried it because I like plain roasted beets so much. However, she says it's divine.
posted by Ms. Informed at 8:23 AM on March 26, 2010
posted by Ms. Informed at 8:23 AM on March 26, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Diplodocus at 2:00 PM on March 12, 2010 [1 favorite]