Variety and flavor make this veggie worth the effort
By Faith Bahadurian
Are beets worth the trouble? A friend recently bought those cooked peeled vacuum-packed beets at the market, but ended up throwing them out because every time she thought of using them, she was deterred by a mental picture of a red mess all over her kitchen.
It was a shame, but I understood, and suspect a lot of people share her reluctance. When I use pre-cooked beets, which are a real time-saver, I open the package over a clean sink and trim off any rough spots before slipping them into a bowl. Any mess is minimal, and then I’m ready to use them in a salad or gently heated as a vegetable side, maybe with lemon zest and sliced almonds. America’s Test Kitchen recommends whitening toothpaste to remove any stains from fingers.
If you start with fresh beets, try peeling them raw since there’s less staining that way, a tip I learned from Melissa Clark in "The New York Times." Another way to avoid the mess is to use golden beets, which don’t bleed like red ones. Peel and cube your beets, and toss with olive oil and seasoning before roasting on a sheet pan. These can make a side dish as is, but are also excellent tossed with bitter greens (arugula, spinach, or endive for instance) and walnuts.
Also look for candy-cane-striped Italian Chioggia beets. This sweet and mild variety, also less staining than red, is just the thing to get kids interested in gardening. The colors do fade when you cook them, but adding a dash of lemon juice or white vinegar to the cooking water can minimize that. Or you can use them raw, peeled and sliced paper thin on a mandoline, as in the Badass Beet Salad below.
Most restaurants are on the beet bandwagon now, and I spied at least two varieties in the excellent beet salad on the menu at Witherspoon Grill. Executive Chef Chris Graciano piles them over study greens dressed with red wine vinaigrette and tops it off with a fat slice of warmed pecan-crusted goat cheese.
When you have fresh beets, don’t forget to use the greens. They are excellent sautéed with olive oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes, then baked into soft polenta with aged provolone or smoked mozzarella. Or you can make a luxurious gratin like the one in Domenica Marchetti’s "Glorious Italian Vegetables," by layering sliced, cooked beets, shredded cheese (she used Fontina), and garlic sautéed beet greens, topped with cream and chopped walnuts before baking. More ideas are in the recipes below.
Roasted Beets with chiles,
ginger, yogurt and Indian spices
Adapted from Melissa Clark, New York Times, 10/7/11. 2 to 3 servings.
1 3/4 pounds beets, mixed colors is nice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
Pepper, to taste
1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/2 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon lime juice, more to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Peel beets and cut into 1-inch chunks. Toss with oil and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Roast 30 minutes, tossing occasionally, then sprinkle with mustard seeds, coriander and cumin and roast until the beets are tender, about 15 minutes more.
For dressing, smash garlic with a broad knife and mash with a pinch of salt until it forms a paste. Place yogurt in a bowl; whisk in garlic paste, jalapeño, ginger, 1/4 teaspoon salt and lime juice. Mix in cilantro. Scrape warm beets into a large bowl. Stir in the dressing; taste and adjust seasonings if needed.
Badass Beet Salad
Adapted from bootsintheoven.com. 4-6 servings. This is gorgeous made with striped Chioggia beets. F.B.
3 medium uncooked beets, sliced 1/16th to 1/8th inch thick with a mandolin
1 orange, zested and then supremed, juices reserved
1/2 cup roasted or steamed edamame
2 ounces soft goat cheese
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
salt and pepper
Whisk the reserved orange juice, lemon juice and a pinch of salt together until salt dissolves. Continue to whisk while drizzling in olive oil. Toss beets with dressing. Arrange all of the remaining ingredients on a platter and top with extra dressing and fresh black pepper as desired.
Beets with almonds
and horseradish crème fraiche
Adapted from "Buvette: The Pleasure of Good Food," Jody Williams, Grand Central Life & Style (2014). 4 servings.
1 bunch beets, leafy greens removed, but leave 1 or 2 inches of stems, scrubbed and rinsed
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup red wine vinaigrette (vinegar, Dijon, olive oil, s & p)
3 tablespoons raw almonds, roughly chopped
1/2 cup crème fraiche
1 1/2 tablespoon prepared horseradish or 1 tablespoon freshly grated horseradish
2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
Coarse salt
2 tablespoons high-quality, extra-virgin olive oil
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place beets and water in a baking dish or on a rimmed sheet pan. Roast, turning occasionally, until cooked through, about 45 minutes. Use a paring knife to check for doneness, it should pierce beet easily.
Let beets rest until cool enough to handle. Trim off and discard the stem ends of the beets and carefully peel the them. Cut beets into wedges and place in bowl. Add vinaigrette and almonds, stirring to combine. (At this point the beets can be stored for up to a week, as they get better as they marinate in the dressing.)
In a small bowl, whisk together crème fraiche, horseradish, and sherry vinegar and season with salt. To serve, dollop the crème fraiche mixture onto the beets and drizzle with the olive oil.
Faith Bahadurian blogs at http://njspice.net (also Twitter @njspice).

