In June of this year a top 11 list appeared in the New York Times titled "The 11 Best Foods You Aren't Eating". Guess which food was number one! Honestly, I think a lot of people aren't eating them because they imagine that there is a lot of effort involved or they have had them prepared in a way that is unappealing to them. Maybe you had them too sweet or perhaps yours (or, dare I say, Grandma's?) lacked savory flair.

If you store the beet root loosely wrapped in paper towels in a plastic bag in your refrigerator crisper, they will last 2 weeks. That gives you more than enough time to figure out any number of recipes you want to try. But just do it. Don't let them sit. They are packed with antioxidants. Folate, potassium and manganese brims over in every delicious bite. Nutritionists say think of these roots as the red spinach.

As a bonus, if the beets in this weeks share still have the greens attached, by all means DO NOT throw those away! Separate the beet greens from the beet roots and store separately (I like to soak mine first and then wrap them in paper towels, put them in a (reusable) plastic bag and store them. They stay fresher, I find). Beet greens are incredibly tasty sautéed with butter or olive oil and a little salt. They are a great source of beta-carotene, vitamin C and calcium. 

Below I list a variety of uses for your beets starting with basic roasting as instructed in the Joy of Cooking. Yes, roasting takes 45 minutes to an hour but you can see that all you have to really do is throw stuff in a pan, cover it, stick it in the oven, set a timer and walk away. How hard is that? You can do this while catching up on Gossip Girl:

Basic Roasting

Place beets in a medium casserole with 1/2 cup of water (beets will be 1/2 to 3/4 covered). Cover with tin foil or oven safe cover and roast in a 400 degree oven, 45 minutes for small beets and 1 hour for medium beets. Skins will peel off easily with a paper towel.

Beet and Ginger Soup

(Serves one. From Nigella Lawson)

8 ounces cooked beets
2 teaspoons minced or grated ginger
1 cup hot vegetable broth
4 teaspoons lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper.

1. Chop cooked beets roughly, and put into a blender with ginger, hot broth and lemon juice. Purée to make a smooth soup. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

2. Pour into a soup bowl, and serve immediately at room temperature, or heat and serve piping hot.

Beet and Goat Cheese Arugula Salad Recipe

(From the Hellgate CSA Newsletter this week)

Dressing:

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3 Tbs thinly sliced shallots
1 Tbs honey
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
 
Salad:
6 medium beets, cooked and quartered
6 cups fresh arugula
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup dried cranberries or dried cherries
1/2 large avocado, peeled, pitted and cubed
3 ounces soft fresh goat cheese, coarsely crumbled
   
Line a baking sheet with foil. Preheat oven to 450°F.

Whisk vinegar, shallots and honey in a medium bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in the oil. Season the vinaigrette, to taste, with salt and pepper. Toss the beets in a small bowl with enough dressing to coat. Place the beets on the prepared baking sheet and roast until the beets are slightly caramelized, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes. Set aside and cool.

Toss the arugula, walnuts, and cranberries in a large bowl with enough vinaigrette to coat. Season the salad, to taste, with salt and pepper. Mound the salad atop 4 plates. Arrange the beets around the salad. Sprinkle with the avocado and goat cheese, and serve.

Servings: 6

Variation on the above Salad Recipe

Dressing:

3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
3 chopped cippolini onions (1 small red onion as substitute)
1 Tbs turbinado sugar
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
 
Salad:
2 medium beets, cooked and quartered
2 cups fresh arugula
1/4 cup pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped
1 ounce soft fresh goat cheese, coarsely crumbled

To make the dressing, place oil in a saute pan over medium heat, add onions and then simmer with the rest of the dressing ingredients for 2 minutes. Onions will lightly caramelize. Toss the salad ingredients in a bowl and then add dressing (there will be slight wilting but arugula is a tough green). Serves 2 as an appetizer.

Beets with Horseradish-Dill Butter

(from: The Cook's Garden)  

1 bunch of beets, diced into large pieces
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp horseradish
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tbsp chopped dill

Steam beets in a covered medium-size saucepan for 30 minutes, or until tender. Drain, peel skins, and place in a serving dish. Keep warm. Melt butter in a small saucepan, then stir in remaining ingredients. Pour mixture over beets and toss well.