Beet & Sugar Snap Pea Salad

Ingredients

• 1 lb. beets, scrubbed or peeled and quartered or sliced (I would grate, Cuisinarts work well if you have one).
• 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 sm. red onion, halved & thinly sliced
• [grate fennel raw and add if you like flavor]
• 3 Tbs. rice vinegar
• 1 tsp. ground coriander, lightly toasted
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 1/2 lb. snap peas, trimmed
• 1 tsp. salt

Directions

Soak onion in cold water for 10 min.; drain. Whisk together vinegar, coriander, sugar and salt in a salad bowl, then add oil in slow stream, whisking. Toss onion and beets with dressing.  Steam peas over boiling water, covered, 2 min. then transfer to ice water. Drain well & toss with beet mixture.

Medley of Greens with Potatoes & Leeks

Ingredients

• 1 bunch chard or kale
• 1 bunch beets, tops only [can omit, or add chard, spinach etc.]
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 large leeks, white and tender green, thinly sliced crosswise
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1-1/2  cups chicken or vegetable stock
• Salt and pepper
• 1-1/2  pounds Yellow Finn potatoes or German Butterball potatoes

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add some salt. Cut the chard and beet greens into 1-inch ribbons and wash them thoroughly. Add the greens to the pot and cover. As soon as the water returns to a boil, drain the greens in a colander and pat dry. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the leeks and garlic and cook over moderate heat until just beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Add the chicken or vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper and remove from the heat. Peel the potatoes and slice them 1/4-inch thick. In a large bowl, toss the potatoes with the greens and leeks. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the mixture to a large baking dish and press the vegetables down firmly. Dot with 2 tablespoons of butter. Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake for 1 hour. Uncover and bake for about 15 minutes longer, or until the potatoes are very tender. Serves 6.

Medley of Greens with Potatoes & Leeks

Ingredients

• 1 bunch chard or kale
• 1 bunch beets, tops only [can omit, or add chard, spinach etc.]
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 large leeks, white and tender green, thinly sliced crosswise
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1-1/2  cups chicken or vegetable stock
• Salt and pepper
• 1-1/2  pounds Yellow Finn potatoes (German Butterball's work well too)

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add some salt. Cut the chard and beet greens into 1-inch ribbons and wash them thoroughly. Add the greens to the pot and cover. As soon as the water returns to a boil, drain the greens in a colander and pat dry. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the leeks and garlic and cook over moderate heat until just beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Add the chicken or vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper and remove from the heat. Peel the potatoes and slice them 1/4-inch thick. In a large bowl, toss the potatoes with the greens and leeks. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the mixture to a large baking dish and press the vegetables down firmly. Dot with 2 tablespoons of butter. Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake for 1 hour. Uncover and bake for about 15 minutes longer, or until the potatoes are very tender. Serves 6.

Golden Carrot Soup

From Bittersweet Blog

Ingredients

• 2 Medium Onions, Chopped
• 5 Cups Water
• 3 Medium Gold or Chioggia Beets, chopped
• 4 -5 Carrots, Chopped
• 1/4 Cup Sweet White Miso Paste
• 2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
• Salt to Taste

Directions

In a large soup pot, throw in your chopped onions, beets, carrots, and water. The water should just cover all of the veggies; if not, add a splash or two more. Cover, bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Allow everything to cook for about 30 minutes, until the beets and carrots are fork-tender. Transfer everything (carefully!) to your blender, and thoroughly puree, until completely smooth. Add in the miso, lemon juice, and salt as needed, and blend to incorporate. Serve immediately for a hot soup, or chill for at least three hours if you'd prefer it cold.

Roasted Beets and Walnut Salad

by Katherine Deumling of Cook With What You Have

Beets take a while to cook and a little goes a long way with beets. I tend to roast all the beets I have at once and then use a bit here and there in different preparations the following days. I like the flavor of roasted beets best though boiled is quicker and good too.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

1 bunch beets, trimmed of beat greens and scrubbed but not peeled. If they’re large I cut the beets in halves or quarters.

Place the beets in a large sheet of aluminum foil. Sprinkle with a little water and then fold the foil over and tuck it into itself to create a nicely sealed package. Place packet on a sheet pan in the hot oven. Roast for about 45 minutes (depending on size of your chunks of beet).  A tester should easily pierce the beet.

 Remove from oven, open package and let cool until you can handle them. Now the skin will come off easily. Peel beets. If you’d like toss them when still warm with a little red wine or sherry vinegar and a bit of salt. Beets do well with a little acidity and if you toss them in oil first the vinegar won’t get absorbed.

Now you can add them to salads or dishes of many kinds.

Beet and Walnut Salad

This is a classic combination and deservedly so. 

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons red wine or sherry vinegar
• 3-4 tablespoons walnut or good olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1 bunch beets, trimmed and roasted (see above), cooled and cubed
• ¼ cup toasted walnuts, broken up
• 2-3 cups fairly finely torn lettuce (optional)
• 1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese

Mix everything, except the cheese, together well, adding the lettuce at the very end, if using. Sprinkle with the blue cheese and serve.

Beets and Beet Greens with Garlicky Yogurt

From Katherine Deumling of Cook With What You have

You’ve probably noticed how much I love/use Greek yogurt. Several years ago I started buying it instead of sour cream. I find it so much for versatile and somehow it finds its way onto many of my meals. It’s hard to find full fat organic Greek yogurt. If you know of some please let me know! I buy Greek Gods brand because it’s full fat and at least uses rbgh free milk. It has a bit of pectin in it for thickening that some object too but I’ve come to like it a lot. 

This dish is very garlicky. Reduce if you want it milder.

Ingredients

• 1 bunch of beets, with greens (4-5 medium beets) or whatever you have on hand
• 3 small cloves of garlic, divided and minced
• 1 medium shallot or chunk of onion, finely chopped
• ½ cup of Greek yogurt or plain, full fat yogurt
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice plus an extra squeeze or two
• Olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

Cut the greens off the beets, wash well and cut into wide ribbons. You can use most of the stems. I usually just toss the 2-3 inches closest to the beat root. Scrub the beets well and cut into wedges. Put the beets in a small pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook covered for about 15-20 minutes until beets are tender when pierced with a fork. Alternatively you can roast them (better flavor but takes longer). Drain well and toss with a little lemon juice and salt. Meanwhile sauté the onions or shallots in a little olive oil over medium high heat until soft. Add beet greens and a little olive oil if necessary and one clove of garlic, minced, and a few pinches of salt. It will only take about 3-5 minutes for the greens/stems to be tender. In a small bowl mix the yogurt with the remaining garlic, a pinch or two of salt and the teaspoon of lemon juice. Mix the beet wedges with the greens and heat thoroughly and then serve with a generous dollop of the yogurt.

Beet Carpaccio

From Epicurious

Ingredients

• 6 large or 12 medium beets (3 lb with greens), trimmed, leaving 1 inch of stems attached
• 3 medium onions (1 lb), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 (1/2-lb) piece Parmigiano-Reggiano

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Tightly wrap beets in double layers of foil to make 3 packages (2 large beets or 4 medium per package) and roast on a baking sheet in middle of oven until tender, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. Cool to warm in foil packages (the steam makes beets easier to peel), about 30 minutes.

While beets are roasting, cook onions in butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet, covered, over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 20 minutes. Add salt, sugar, and vinegar and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until onions are very tender and caramelized to deep brown, about 20 minutes more. Add wine and boil, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced to about 2 tablespoons, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer mixture to a food processor and pulse to a coarse purée. Return to skillet and season with salt and pepper, then reheat onion marmalade, covered, over low heat.

While marmalade is reheating, peel beets, discarding stems and root ends, and cut crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick slices with slicer.

Divide warm marmalade among 6 dinner plates and spread evenly in a very thin layer to cover bottom of each plate using offset spatula. Arrange beet slices in 1 layer over onion, overlapping them only enough to cover onions. Drizzle 2 teaspoons oil over each serving and season with pepper. Shave 4 to 6 curls of Parmigiano-Reggiano with a vegetable peeler over beets on each plate. Serve immediately.

Beet & Sugar Snap Pea Salad

Ingredients

• 1 lb. beets, scrubbed or peeled and quartered or sliced (I would grate, Cuisinarts work well if you have one).
• 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 sm. red onion, halved & thinly sliced
• [grate fennel raw and add if you like flavor]
• 3 Tbs. rice vinegar
• 1 tsp. ground coriander, lightly toasted
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 1/2 lb. snap peas, trimmed
• 1 tsp. salt 

Directions

Soak onion in cold water for 10 min.; drain. Whisk together vinegar, coriander, sugar and salt in a salad bowl, then add oil in slow stream, whisking. Toss onion and beets with dressing.  Steam peas over boiling water, covered, 2 min. then transfer to ice water. Drain well & toss with beet mixture.

Field Salad With Roasted Beets, Oranges & Feta

Adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients

• 2 Beets (about 1/2 pound)
• 1/2 teaspoon grated orange rind
• 6 cups gourmet salad greens
• 1 cup orange sections
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta or blue cheese
• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Directions

Preheat oven to 425. Leave root and 1 inch of stem on beets; scrub with brush. Place beets on a baking sheet lined with foil; bake at 425 for 45 minutes or until tender. Cool slightly. Peel beets; cut into 8 wedges. Combine rind, greens, orange sections and feta in a large bowl. Combine juices, pepper, oil, salt and mustard; stir well with a whisk. Pour over salad mixture; toss to combine. Place salad mixture on each of 4 plates. Top with beets.

Lemon Garlic Roasted Beets

Ingredients

• 1 lb. beets, peeled and sliced 1/4" thick
• 1/2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced (could use scapes)
• 1/4 tsp. sugar
• 2 tbs. lemon juice
• 1 pinch each, salt & white pepper
• ¼ tsp. lemon zest

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In an 8" square glass baking dish, toss all ingredients together. Rub a piece of parchment paper with olive oil and set oiled side down on the beets. Cover tightly with tin foil and roast for 40 min, shaking pan occasionally.

Beets With Onions

Ingredients

• 1 bunch beets, without stems or leaves
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 large onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1-1/4 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 medium tomatoes, peeled and very finely chopped 

Directions

Peel beets & cut into wedges. Heat oil in medium-sized pot over medium flame. When hot, put in cumin seeds. Let sizzle for 5 seconds. Put in garlic; stir-fry until garlic pieces turn golden. Put in onion; stir-fry for 2 minutes. Put in flour & cayenne; stir-fry for a minute. Put in beets, tomatoes, salt & water. Bring to a boil. Cover, turn heat to low & simmer 30 minutes (until beets are tender). Remove lid, turn heat to medium & cook uncovered until the sauce has thickened. Serve over rice if desired. Serves 4.

Baby Greens With Roasted Beets & Fingerling Potatoes

From Gourmet 

Ingredients

For vinaigrette

• 1 1/2 tablespoons tarragon white-wine vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 cup olive oil

For salad:

• 2 medium beets (1 lb with greens; 14 oz without greens), stems trimmed to 2 inches
• 1 lb fingerling potatoes, scrubbed well
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 4-5 C Salad Mix, or combo of baby greens, spinach etc.

Directions

Make vinaigrette: Whisk together vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper. Add oil in a slow stream, whisking until emulsified.

Roast beets and potatoes: Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 425°F. Wrap beets individually in foil and roast on a baking sheet in upper third of oven until tender, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Once beets have roasted for 30 minutes, toss potatoes with oil and salt in a small baking pan and roast in lower third of oven, shaking pan occasionally, until potatoes are tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Carefully unwrap beets and cool slightly, then slip off and discard skins. 

Assemble salad: Cut beets into 1/3-inch dice and put in a large salad bowl. Cut potatoes into 1/3-inch-thick slices and add to beets along with all greens Add vinaigrette and toss gently to coat. Season, if desired, with favorite herbs.

Roasted Beet Salad With Oranges & Beet Greens

From Bon Appétit Magizine

Ingredients

• 1 bunch beets with beet greens attached
• 1 large orange
• 1 small sweet onion, cut through root end into thin wedges
• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Trim greens from beets. Cut off and discard stems. Coarsely chop leaves and reserve. Wrap each beet in foil. Place beets directly on oven rack and roast until tender when pierced with fork, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Cool. Peel beets, then cut each into 8 wedges. Place beets in medium bowl.  Cook beet greens in large saucepan of boiling water just until tender, about 2 minutes. Drain. Cool. Squeeze greens to remove excess moisture. Add greens to bowl with beets. Cut peel and white pith from oranges. Working over another bowl and using small sharp knife, cut between membranes to release segments. Add orange segments and onion to bowl with beet mixture. Whisk vinegar, oil, garlic, and orange peel in small bowl to blend; add to beet mixture and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour. Serve.

Beet & Apple Relish

From Martha Stewart

Martha recommends on cold chicken or trout! Also wonderful on sandwiches!

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 pounds small to medium red beets (4 or 5), washed well and patted dry
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced
• 3 cups cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 4 Granny Smith apples, peeled and cut into 1/2- to 3/4-inch pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place beets on a sheet of parchment-lined foil; drizzle with oil. Season with salt and pepper. Fold edges to form a packet. Place on a baking sheet, and roast beets until tender, about 1 hour. Unwrap; let cool slightly, then peel. Cut into 1/2-inch pieces.

2. Bring onion, vinegar, water, and sugar to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook until sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in beets, apples, and mustard.

3. Divide among 3 pint-size sterilized glass jars using a slotted spoon, leaving 1/4-inch headspace at tops. Wipe rims and then close with screw bands and lids.

4. Submerge jars, covering with water by 2 inches, upright on a wire rack in a large pot of hot water; bring to a boil. Boil for 15 minutes (or longer, depending on altitude). Remove jars from pot using tongs, and transfer to a layer of clean towels to cool. Once cool, check for a slight indentation in lids, which indicates a vacuum seal. Refrigerate all canned products after opening.

Beet Salad With Feta & Pecans

From Martha Stewart

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup pecans
• 4 bunches small beets (16 to 20 beets)
• 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
• 2 tablespoons freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley, plus sprigs for garnish
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place pecans on a baking sheet, and toast until fragrant, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cool. Coarsely chop, and set aside. Raise oven temperature to 450 degrees.

2. Trim greens and long roots from beets. Wrap in 2 to 3 aluminum-foil packets, dividing beets according to size. Place in oven, and roast until tender, 45 to 60 minutes, depending on size of beets. Using paper towels to protect your hands, wipe the skins from the beets. Cut into wedges, and transfer to a serving bowl.

3. Drizzle vinegar and olive oil over beets; toss to coat (beets can be made ahead). When ready to serve, add feta, parsley, pecans, and salt and pepper to taste; toss to combine. Garnish with parsley sprigs.

Summer Borscht

From Barefoot Contessa. Hosted by Ina Garten

Ingredients 

• 5 medium fresh beets (about 2 pounds without tops)
• Kosher salt
• 2 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
• 16 ounces sour cream, plus extra for serving
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons Champagne vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups medium-diced English cucumber, seeds removed
• 1/2 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, plus extra for serving

Directions 
Place the beets in a large pot of boiling salted water and cook uncovered until the beets are tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove the beets to a bowl with a slotted spoon and set aside to cool. Strain the cooking liquid through a fine sieve and also set aside to cool. 

In a large bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups of the beet cooking liquid, the chicken stock, sour cream, yogurt, sugar, lemon juice, vinegar, 1 tablespoon salt, and the pepper. Peel the cooled beets with a small paring knife or rub the skins off with your hands. Cut the beets in small to medium dice. Add the beets, cucumber, scallions, and dill to the soup. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight. Season, to taste, and serve cold with a dollop of sour cream and an extra sprig of fresh dill.

Russian Borscht

From Olga Murray

Chef's tip: Don't be afraid to add any sort of root vegetable. Generally anything goes well in a borscht. 

Ingredients:

• 2 russet and 2 purple or red potatoes, peeled
• 4 carrots, peeled
• 5 large garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 large red onion
• 2 small white onions, one diced and one quartered
• 1 bunch baby turnips, scrubbed and trimmed
• ½ large green cabbage (equates to about 4 cups when shredded)
• 2 T butter
• Salt and pepper
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 ¼ lbs of beets, peeled
• 1 1/2 lb whole tomatoes
• 1 T sugar
• 8 cups vegetable stock (recipe below), water, or some combination
• 6-10 sprigs parsley, half chopped, half whole
• 1 T red wine vinegar
• ½ cup sour cream
• 1 T horseradish
• 1 celery stalk
• ½ kohlrabi, peeled and chopped
• 1 large eggplant, cubed
• 2 Shiitake mushrooms

Directions:

1. Vegetable stock: Wash and scrub the soup vegetables.  Place peels from the carrots, beets, and two potatoes in a pot with three of the garlic cloves, two bay leaves, two teaspoons of salt, celery, kohlrabi peels, some parsley sprigs, the quartered white onion, and the Shiitake mushrooms.  Other combinations of vegetable trimmings will work too.  Cover with 10 cups of water; bring to a boil, then simmer while you prep the other vegetables, about 45 minutes.

        2.     Chop these vegetables: onions, eggplant, kohlrabi, carrots, turnips, potatoes, cabbage, and the rest of the garlic.

3.     Melt butter in a large soup pot.  Add onions, carrots, turnips, potatoes, cabbage, and garlic.  Toss with 1 T of salt, cover and cook over medium heat until the vegetables have wilted, ~ 25 minutes.

4.     Meanwhile, dice the beets.

5.     When the onions, cabbage, etc. are soft, add the beets, kohlrabi, eggplant, and tomatoes and 1 bay leaf.  Keep the heat on medium and gently break up the tomatoes on the side of the pot.  Strain the stock and add it to the soup plus enough water to equal about 6 cups.  Once the soup is boiling again, reduce heat to a simmer and cook an additional 25-30 minutes or just until the beets are tender.

6.     Add salt and pepper to taste.  Remove from heat and stir in 1 T vinegar and sugar. Sprinkle chopped parsley on top. Can also use chopped fresh dill.

7.     Combine the sour cream and horseradish.  Serve soup hot, warm or cold with a spoonful of the sour cream-horseradish on top.