Category: Beets

The sweet earthy beets balance the strong, slightly bitter greens like escarole, radicchio, frisee or endive. The complexity of blue cheese and crunch of toasted nuts rounds it out.... Read more »

While there are many variations of borscht, this version using beets is closest to a traditional Ukranian borscht. It’s a delicious and hearty soup with a nice tang from the red wine vinegar. The soup isn’t necessarily quick to make, but it’s not difficult. If you want it to have the characteristic deep red color, make it a day ahead of serving. -inspired by simplyrecipes.com   Variations Make vegetarian by leaving out the beef and using vegetable stock. Add minced garlic for more depth of flavor If you’d like to skip the roasting step, simply add the chopped veggies to the pot once the meat is cooked and simmer until tender Vary the vegetables or amounts of vegetables based on what you have/prefer   Makes 6-8 servings  ... Read more »

Any leafy green can be quickly sautéed/braised and dressed with the ever-more-popular spicy chili crisp condiment.... Read more »

These beets are a delicious on salads, on toast with goat cheese, added to pasta salads, or just eaten with a fork straight from the jar. This recipe is easily doubled or tripled if you really like pickled beets! The recipe uses roasted beets, but it works with boiled beets as well.  ... Read more »

Similar to mashing finely chopped herbs into butter to make compound butter, feta can absorb a lot of tender herbs. It's a delicious spread or even dip. If your feta is quite crumbly you can add a little cream cheese, sour cream or even plain yogurt to achieve a creamier texture.   Make however much you want/need. I tend to go heavy on the herbs.... Read more »

In Indian cuisines (and other South Asian cuisines) spices are often added to hot oil or ghee (clarified butter) to temper the spices, i.e. release the spices essential oils and flavors. This flavorful oil, called a tadka, makes for a wonderful salad dressing.  ... Read more »

  I overlook the beets in my fridge sometimes because I think I don't have time to prepare them. In this dish I skip the peeling, and instead dice the beets (and carrots, below version) nice and small. This saves time and you'll have a delicious side dish in 10-15 minutes. The pictured cornbread is also much quicker to make than you might think. ... Read more »

Grating beets (on a box grater or in a food processor) is a simple though slightly messy way to get beets on your plate in short order. A fairly quick sauté with a little olive oil and salt and you have a lovely side dish. You can fancify with fresh herbs, yogurt, or add to other vegetables. ... Read more »

Beet greens are tender and so simple to cook. They're good mixed with the beets themselves, added to soups, stir-fries or frittatas or enjoyed as a side just like this.   They last much less long than the beets themselves so cut them off, just an inch or so above the roots and store them separately in a plastic bag and cook sooner rather than later.... Read more »

I like to cook a whole bunch of beets at once so that I have them ready to add to salads, sandwiches, or to make this quick spiced dish. Serve with or without the yogurt. Scale this up are down as needed.... Read more »

This idea came from a very cool woman who owns a very cool "junk" store on the Oregon Coast. She told me she didn't like beets until she started preparing them like this! Thank you, Lexie! They are indeed delicious.   I don't peel them and I don't worry too much about a little variation in thickness. The thin ones get really crisp and the slightly thicker ones have a bit more chew but by all means be uniform if you'd like. ... Read more »

This dip is a riff on this one and is also inspired by Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sam Tamimi, but employs the nuts in the dip instead of as a garnish and adds lots of fresh herbs to give it its own place in the collection.  Use toasted bread to dip or dollop on hardboiled eggs or spread on a sandwich or in a wrap or eat it by the spoonful or serve it as a side with meat or fish.  ... Read more »

This is a typical lunch for me. I bake whole grain sourdough breads weekly and often toast a slice to dice and toss with whatever vegetables and herbs I have on hand. I like sandwiches but you can be even more creative and cook-with-what-you-have like by tossing them with other bits and pieces. Use this as a template for what you have/like and scale up or down as needed.   Variations Collard raab, blanched and chopped, or 2 cups arugula or other lettuce can easily take place of the kale, in this recipe. Great herbs to include in this salad are parsley, cilantro, dill, basil, and/or mint. Sunflower, pumpkin, or toasted amaranth seeds and/or any chopped and toasted nut, such as walnuts, pine nuts, or almonds. ... Read more »

Grating and lightly salting Black Spanish radish softens and mellows it nicely. And the earthy sweetness of beets offers a nice counterpoint. This salad/garnish of sorts is good with bread, cheese, charcuterie or lentils and sausages or bean stews or any meats or eggs.... Read more »

Earthy, sweet beets love acidity. There is practically no simpler preparation than this and if the beets are good, this will be delicious.... Read more »

Dill, garlic, and nice creamy yogurt combined with yogurt makes Tzatziki, above left. Substitute cooked beets for the cucumbers and you get a fuchsia-colored version that's rich and earthy yet bright.   This cool, creamy dip/dressing is delicious on any kind of cracker, bread or toast. It's nice with boiled or roasted potatoes and hard cooked eggs. It's lovely as a part of an appetizer spread or a meal made of many little things.... Read more »

Sometimes, often actually, limitations are the foundation of creativity. Three partial bunches of greens needing to be used (before the next CSA share arrived) and hungry people underfoot inspired this delicious meal. Use any tender, leafy greens you have and in most any combination. If the greens are not so tender the dish will take a little longer--if using spinach and beet and/or turnip tops it will be very quick. And feel free to vary the spices to suit your taste. ... Read more »

Grated raw beets marinated in a garlicky vinaigrette are a fantastic addition to green salads, grain or bean salads or as a sandwich filling with goat cheese, to name just a few possibilities.  ... Read more »

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The Nicoise Salad template, if you will, lends itself to year-round adaptations. I never miss the green beans and tomatoes when I make this, or a similar version, in the dead of winter. Quantities can be adapted to suit your needs and can be varied in all ways. You just want enough dressing for everything so scale that up if you’re using more vegetables.  ... Read more »