And the beet goes on...

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

Beets are in season. These red-purple lovelies are among the most neglected and unfairly shunned of all root vegetables. Don't know why, either, they're sweet and tender and wonderful when prepared properly. Parboiled and roasted.

 

Beets and goat cheese are among the greatest of food pairs.

 

 

[Guest Vitamin X]

Oh god yes. I love me some roasted beets. Last time I just had some roasted then peeled, chopped up and served with pan-fried asparagus and a big ol' steak.

 

They go really well in a salad with the aforementioned goat cheese and spinach, too. Serve it with a bacon vinaigrette FTW.

 

I didn't realize that this was them being "in season" though, for some reason.. I guess it's mainly been the weather out here in Oregon, where we barely had much of a summer and it's been a pretty chilly year on average, so beets and potatoes have been growing well year-round.

[Lord of The Curry 0]

I have never had beets. True story.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

They're cheap, delicious, and one of the easiest things in the world to cook. Remedy that.

[Lord of The Curry 0]

What should I do them with? And how?

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

Two schools of thought:

 

1. Boiling

2. Roasting

 

If you want to make borscht, or pickle them or whatever, boil them, so you can reserve some liquid. This is what my relatives do, but I don't go for pickled beets, so...

 

Roasting intensifies the sweetness and color.

 

When you get 'em at the store, they'll be in a bunch with the greens and everything attached. Cut those fuckers off. They're bitter and aren't worth the effort, I don't think. You should have about an inch of stem attached to the root, which is where the action is. Wash them thoroughly, put them in a baking dish just large enough to contain the beets. Fill this dish about halfway with water, cover with tin foil, and place in about a 400 degree oven. Maybe a little lower, YMMV. At any rate, you're just going to let them do their thing in there. Keep water in the dish. When they get to the point where you can jab 'em with a fork and not meet much resistance, take them out and let them cool off for about five or ten minutes, but still very warm.

 

At this point, you should be able to slip the skins off with your fingers, maybe using a paring knife a little where they stick. You should have a bowl of tender roasted beets and messy fingers. Quarter them, maybe give them a couple slices, season with a little salt and sugar, and put them on some baby spinach with globs of goat cheese, maybe some dried fruit, and a balsamic vinagrette.

 

Depending on the size of your beets, it should take anywhere between 40 minutes-1 hour to roast them.

[Guest Vitamin X]

Agent's wrong on two things there.

 

1. Pickled beets are fucking delicious. THOSE fuckers are amazing just by themselves and on salad. They're incredibly sweet and when pickled right (in an apple cider vinegar preferably) it intensifies the sweetness of the beets. Try it if you can find them, especially in a place like a place that gets local vegetables.

 

2. The greens that come on the beets are definitely NOT bitter and are worth the effort. Ever had chard? They're also called beet greens. Although usually a different kind of beet is grown for those, you can still find a lot of good flavor in those greens. I would take those greens off the beets, wash them up pretty well, give them a spin (I do this for all of my greens, especially greens I take off veggies like these) and put em in a ziplock for later use. When you want to eat em, saute in olive oil with a bit of kosher salt and black pepper and enjoy. They taste very similar to chard, if a little less sweet.

[Guest Vitamin X]

Also another argument against boiled beets is that they give you really, really bad gas. Borscht is also the only thing I've really seen done with them.

[Lord of The Curry 0]

I can safely say that there's no way in hell I'm fucking with pickled beets.

[Guest Vitamin X]

Don't knock something you've never tried. You're crazy if you don't. Tastes like candy.

 

Also, another argument in favor of the beet tops: apparently most of the nutritional value is in them, containing calcium, iron, and beta carotene.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

I don't really go for pickling things in general. There are a few exceptions, but beets aren't one of them. I'm not big on cooked greens, either, except cabbage. I eat fried cabbage all the damn time. Talk about gas. ha.

[The Niggardly King 0]

Am I the only man who knows the enjoyment of a sweet beet and potato pot roast? It's one of the reasons why I love winter, I know that meal we be made at least once a week at home... it's worth it when putting up with the other second favorite winter meal here, Chicken & Dumplngs.

[Turbo Lion 0]

Fuck beets. I wish I could like them but something about them just completely turns me off.

 

But I will vouch for them via every other person I know on earth.

[King Kamala 0]

 

As a religious viewer of early '90s Nickelodeon, I had to this.

 

 

I do consider myself a fan of beets though. Should really have 'em more often.

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

I got a juicer and I am looking forward to having some fresh beet juice.

 

 

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

You'll have to do some kind of prep on them, right? I can't imagine there being much water content in a raw beet.

[Guest Vitamin X]

I imagine you probably process cooked, peeled beets in a blender then strain them. Although check out this little tidbit I found on beet juice:

 

Beets are probably one of the most powerful vegetables available. Beets are known for causing both stools and urine to turn red and if this happens, don't be surprised.

 

Never drink beet juice by itself. Beet juice should always be mixed with other vegetables and/or apple juice. Pure beet juice (from the bulb or greens) can temporarily paralyze your vocal chords, make you break out in hives, increase your heart rate, cause chills or a fever.

 

Beets are best used in small amounts. I never use more than 1 to 2 ounces of beet juice (approximately ½ a small beet or ¼ a large beet).

 

Use moderately. Both the roots and greens are powerful cleansers of the body. Beets are said to really cleanse the blood and kidneys and this is why it is suggested you use beets moderately.

 

Hardcore.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

No shit??. I might try that just to see what happens.

[Steve J. Rogers 0]

Has to be said:

 

 

Beets, are a very misunderstood vegetable.

-Captain Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks)

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

What a bizarre bump.

[Maztinho 0]

There's a high school in Utah whose mascot is Beetdiggers.

 

That's all I got. I'm pretty neutral on the things. I'll eat them, but I don't go out of my way to find them.