July 9, 2010 4:10 pm
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
Ever since beets topped the list of the “11 Best Foods You Aren’t Eating,” beets have been a heated topic of debate on the Well blog. This week, Martha Rose Shulman, the Recipes for Health columnist, offers five delicious ways to serve beets and beet greens hot or cold, including a beet salad recipe she says even sworn beet haters will love.
Beet and Beet Green Gratin: This gratin is beautiful if you pair chioggas or golden beets with red beets. It is good hot or cold.
Beet, Citrus and Avocado Salad: The juicy, acidic grapefruit plays off the earthy beets and the creamy, nutty avocado.
Mixed Spring Greens Salad With Roasted Beets: Beets go especially well with mesclun, though arugula is a perfect alternative.
Grated Raw Beet Salad: Even people who swear they hate beets love this salad, says Martha Rose Shulman.
Roasted Spring Onion and Beet Salad: This delicious combination of sweet and earthy vegetables is inspired by a recipe by the cookbook author Clifford A. Wright.
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juan July 9, 2010 · 4:28 pm
yum
E July 9, 2010 · 4:28 pm
What about Magic Hat’s summer beer, Wacko? It’s made from beets- certainly a beet usage that anybody can love!
Coco @ Opera Girl Cooks July 9, 2010 · 4:29 pm
When you toss still-hot beets into a vinaigrette, they absob tons of delicious flavor! Try these recipes if you please!
//operagirlcooks.com/2010/07/07/honey-dijon-vinaigrette-recipe/
and
Charlotte K July 9, 2010 · 4:39 pm
I think baked beets chopped up and combined with pickled herring in cream sauce is the ideal way to eat beets. The flavor of the herring & the beets compliment each other perfectly.
Ralph July 9, 2010 · 4:58 pm
Here’s another use for beets: non-toxic food coloring
//www.naturesflavors.com/product_info.php?products_id=4167&cPath=72
Laura M July 9, 2010 · 5:05 pm
I didn’t think I liked beets until I tried this roasted beet salad with beet greens and feta cheese from Epicurious:
//www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Roasted-Beet-Salad-with-Beet-Greens-and-Feta-3188
YUM!
Jesse July 9, 2010 · 5:13 pm
My partner gets tired of my obsession with beets (red beets, golden beets, chioggia beets…) and doesn’t like them himself. One beet dish I made that he liked was a red beet version of pommes anna, with the beets sliced thinly and arranged in spiral layers with sea salt, rosemary, ground pepper and a little olive oil and lemon juice. It’s not as healthy as eating the beets raw, but I think it’s a successful dish nonetheless.
Catherine July 9, 2010 · 5:15 pm
This is the recipe I swear by but you must have beets with their tops attached, easily available now at Farmers markets. Wash the beets and green carefully. Gather the greens into a bundle and slice into 1/2 inch strips. place them in the bottom of a steamer. Julienne the beets and place them on top of the greens: Steam until tender and toss with butter, salt and pepper. The dish is a beautiful medley of deep green and purple.
Don Madrid July 9, 2010 · 5:16 pm
grated carrot, beet and orange supremes with a light vinaigrette dressing. add a little chives.
the colors alone will blow you away
dePaul Consiglio July 9, 2010 · 5:20 pm
I guess you just can’t beet any of these recipes if you like beets.
allie July 9, 2010 · 5:26 pm
Here’s why I don’t like beets. No matter how they are prepared, they always taste like dirt.
aprilt July 9, 2010 · 5:37 pm
I can’t understand how people can hate beets. I have friends who tell me they smell like dirt – which they do, sometimes and that’s what makes them taste good.
BTW, these are the same people who will drink a red wine that has back notes of pencil lead, tobacco and earth. I’m just sayin’…
spm July 9, 2010 · 6:27 pm
@ Charlotte K: Yum!
Julienne-cut boiled beets tossed with a little yogurt and horseradish, then well chilled, is easy and refreshing.
Bill July 10, 2010 · 2:29 am
I’ve never understood the hatred against beets. No one ever told me I had to eat them, I loved them at first bite. De gustibus non disputantum, so non disputandum mine and I’ll non disputandum yours. ;-)
Dorothy July 10, 2010 · 3:25 am
The best salad I ever had was in Mexico. Beets with fresh pineapple but I don’t know what dressing.
FoodFitnessFreshair July 10, 2010 · 6:42 am
I’m a beet fan so these all look great! I find that the best way to introduce yourself to beets is to go for the roasted beet. The sweet caramelized flavor will probably hook you if you’re going to end up liking beets. The classic borscht is also a great one!
Major Domo July 10, 2010 · 7:59 am
Why aren’t Moroccan beets on the menu?
ejpolk July 10, 2010 · 9:03 am
My husband and I both like beets a lot, and my 4 year old son bravely tried them, and liked them at first. But on his second bite, he didn’t like them very much. Unprompted, he said, “Well, they taste like raspberries, and carrots, and other berries, and other vegetables, but all at once, and I don’t like them all together.”
I thought that was a good description.
That said, I’m looking forward to trying some of these recipes. My son doesn’t have to eat them if he doesn’t like them.
Lemmy Nothor July 10, 2010 · 9:11 am
For those who fear nothing….equal parts of, very finely chopped parsley, very finely chopped garlic, and diced beets.
Make sure that when you dice the beets, you make small cubes, this way they cling better to the rest of the ingredients.
Oil, vinegar ( or lemon juice) salt and pepper.
Jessica July 10, 2010 · 10:39 am
@Allie: In total agreement. I’ve had different beets prepared multiple ways and they always taste like dirt. Even grew some in my vegetable garden in one final attempt to enjoy them.
Nope.
Thankfully, my husband loves them.
Kasia July 10, 2010 · 10:46 am
How about beet soup, borscht style or pureed? Both are quick, easy, fresh and delicious. For a quick summer meal, my mom made borscht and poured it in a bowl with a nice glob of mashed potatoes stuck to the side. You can sprinkle this with bacon bits, dill, add sour cream, or even beet greens for a light meal. We always add lemon or vinegar to brighten up the sweetness of the beets.
Star July 10, 2010 · 11:36 am
Beets are back!
she loves me beets July 10, 2010 · 11:37 pm
I bought beets today after reading this. Apparently I am a person of little will power who is swayed by everything she reads. That being said, I do believe I could muster up some will power if this was a post was on eggplant.
Now which of these recipes should I try?
Authentic Woman July 11, 2010 · 1:25 am
That’s a very interesting dish you got there.
Tracey July 11, 2010 · 12:03 pm
No, no, no. A hundred times NO! (I have a horrible memory of what happened the first and last time I attempted — most unsuccessfully — to eat a beet.) I want to like more veggies. Really I do. I’ve found that anything I can smother in onions, garlic and red pepper flakes, I can eat by the long ton. But this? No way, Jose.
