As a kid growing up in the 1950s, my mother was always telling me to eat my vegetables. I didn’t mind the green beans, carrots, or even the okra she prepared, but when she handed me a plate of fried chicken with a side of bloody-red glob, my stomach tightened. The beets were sourced from a can, and the thick, jiggly strips with the consistency of worms would not go down my throat. I pushed them around my plate and tried to tuck them under uneaten chicken. My punishment? Another serving.
Today I eat beets every chance I get. I’m in love with the gorgeous, earthy, red vegetable, whether raw, cooked, thinly shaved, or grated on top of a salad. Beets are like candy without the consequences. They have the highest sugar content of any vegetable, yet they remain low in calories. Health nuts discovered fresh beets decades ago. Beets are naturally high in folic acid (vitamin B) and potassium. If you grow them or buy them with the gorgeous green tops still attached, you get bonus nutrients—they’re an excellent source for beta-carotene, calcium, and iron.
When shopping for cool-season beets, look for tender green tops and firm roots. If you’re lucky enough to find the greens still attached, remove them, wash, and place them in plastic bag and refrigerate for two days. The beet roots will keep up to two weeks in the refrigerator.
Beets are currently the darling of the Dallas dining scene. Chefs all over town are using different varieties of specialty beets to create beautiful salad and side presentations. Most of the golden beets are mild and are usually cooked because they have a thicker skin than red beets. Stunning orange beets, referred to as Yellow Detroits, not only add color to a dish but provide a soft, subtly sweet flavor.
Steer clear of the larger sugar beet. These long, white orbs are grown commercially to be processed into table sugar. The showstopper variety is the Chioggia or candy stripe beet. Slice open one of these Italian heirloom beets and you’ll be delighted to find concentric rings of fuchsia and white, which darken slightly when sweated or roasted. While they may be the prettiest beet, they aren’t the tastiest—though their eye-catching appearance and mild flavor make them an easier “sell” to kids who don’t like to eat their vegetables.
Rockin’ Beets
Get the most out of your beets by pairing them with contrasting flavors, as in this recipe for roasted beet salad from Jeff Harris, executive chef of American Food and Beverage.
Ingredients:
1 pound red beets, whole
1 pound candy-stripe beets
½ cup of red wine vinegar
¼ cup olive oil
3 tablespoons water
3 ounces feta, crumbled, for garnish
1 orange, segmented, for garnish
½ cup cashews, chopped, for garnish
2 tablespoons fresh mint, julienned, for garnish
Salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Rinse beets in cold water. Place beets in mixing bowl. Toss with 1/8 cup of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place beets in a shallow baking dish. Add the water to the pan. Cover with foil and roast for 1 ½ to 2 hours, until a knife can cut through them with little resistance. Cool slightly.
Rub the skin off the beets with a kitchen towel. Cut into 1-inch pieces and place in a mixing bowl. Toss with vinegar and remaining olive oil and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Cool. Plate beets and garnish with orange, feta, cashews, and mint.
