MMMMM. . . .BEETS ARE GOOD!!!

Few vegetables are as controversial as beets.  With their sweet yet somewhat earthy flavor and dense yet yielding texture, they typically elicit either a love ’em or hate ’em reaction, with not many diners falling in between.  I love beets at least as much as Homer Simpson loves doughnuts and beer.  My husband, however, purports to hate them.  His refusal to eat them, combined with my somewhat curious fear of cooking them, meant that beets had long been in the category of restaurant-only fare for me.  Not any more!

A few weeks ago, beets started showing up in my community supported agriculture (CSA) box.  I will wax poetic about the many joys and benefits of belonging to a CSA in a later post.  For now, suffice it to say that each week the box contains whatever is in season locally, which means that invariably I wind up with some things I would not have purchased if left to my own devices.  Beets definitely were one of those things.  However, to stay true to the CSA experience, and to avoid wasting perfectly good ingredients, I took a deep breath and summoned the determination to roast me some beets!

I’m thankful I decided to do that because, oh my goodness, what a revelation!  First of all, my beet-cooking fears were completely unjustified, because roasting beets is ridiculously easy.  Second, as good as beets taste at your favorite restaurant, they taste even better freshly roasted in your own home.  They are divine with no accompaniment whatsoever, although they pair well with a number of other ingredients, primarily citrus and certain herbs.  Third, beet greens are not only edible but also quite delicious — they are similar in flavor and texture to chard — so you get two different yet tasty experiences for the price of one.  

Below are some basic instructions for preparing both beets and their greens, along with some serving ideas.  I hope that those of you who already love beets might find something useful here, and if you have other ways you prepare beets I would certainly love to hear about them in the comments.  I hope even more that some of you self-styled beet haters might give the home-cooked beet or its greens a Boy Scout try.  My husband hasn’t come around yet, but hope springs eternal. 

TO ROAST A BEET

Prior to roasting my first beet, I consulted a number of the cookbooks in my arsenal.  It quickly became apparent that one could roast beets either by wrapping them individually in aluminum foil; putting them in a baking dish and covering that with aluminum foil; or putting them in an aluminum foil pouch.  This last method, which is preferred by Kenji Lopez-Alt in his new book, “The Food Lab,” and by the late, great Marcella Hazan in “The Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking,” is the one I used.  It appealed to me for its simplicity and ease.  Why use five pieces of foil, or a dish and foil, if one piece of foil will do?

Ingredients

• 1 pound beets (roots only, after separation from leaves), preferably of similar size. 
• Two or three sprigs of fresh herbs (I used rosemary and thyme because they were still abundant in my garden; tarragon, chervil, chives, basil, or dill also would be good choices)
• Salt and pepper
• Olive oil

You could easily double, triple, or even quadruple the amount of beets, along with the corresponding amounts of herb.  If you do that, simply make a separate pouch for each additional pound, per the instructions below.  Although, if you’re roasting in large quantities, then perhaps it would be easier to go with the covered roasting pan approach?  I will try that later and report back.

Roasting instructions

Preliminary note:  Beets will stain porous surfaces, like your wood cutting board.  I therefore used an Epicurean-brand cutting board made out of composite material, which resists stains and can go in the dishwasher.  If all you have is wood, I think you’ll want to protect it (Saran wrap or parchment likely would work, but might not be great for your knives).  You should also protect any other surfaces in your work area that are susceptible to staining.

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, with one rack positioned in the center.
2. Separate the beets from their greens, leaving about an inch of the stalk attached to each beet (this makes them easier to handle when they’re done).  Save the greens to cook separately.
3. Scrub the beets under cold water, pat them dry, and cut off the stringy part at the bottom end if you wish (I find that this also helps with handling later).  Toss the beets with olive oil, salt, pepper, and the herb sprigs.
4. Take a 20-inch length of aluminum foil and fold it in half so that the short ends torn from the container touch and you have a two-ply piece of foil that is 10 inches long.  Make a pouch by sealing two of the three resulting open sides by folding them over a couple times, so that you have a pouch with one side still open.  Place the beets and herbs in the pouch, and then seal the remaining side as you did the others.
5. Place the fully-sealed pouch directly on the central oven rack (or on a rimmed baking sheet, if you’re worried about leaking), and roast until you can easily insert a toothpick into the center of the largest beet (this can be done through the foil).  Roasting time will be about an hour, give or take, depending on the size of the beets.
6. Remove the pouch from the oven and open one end (the last one you sealed) to allow beets to cool until they are easy to handle, about 15 to 20 minutes.
7. Peel beets under cold running  water — the skins should slip off effortlessly — then pat them dry, trim away the leaf tops and any remaining strings at the bottom, and cut the fully-trimmed beets into rounds or chunks.  Serve immediately or refrigerate and save for later.  They keep well in the fridge for several days.

Serving suggestions

I like to eat my beets plain, so as not to interfere with their full beety glory.  If you want something a little more sophisticated, however, try tossing them with arugula, olive oil, and orange or lemon juice (preferably fresh-squeezed), and garnishing with pomegranate seeds and a complimentary herb.  This is how I prepared them in the feature photo above.  Another idea is to serve them together with their greens.

DON’T FORGET THE GREENS!

Today marked my first experience cooking beet greens, but it definitely will not be my last.  The greens attached to your beets should look fresh and vibrant when you first buy them, but use them as soon as possible because they will wilt over time in the refrigerator.  I simply braised them, as follows, and served them alongside the roasted beet roots with a fried egg for a light lunch.

Note:  Like all dark green leafies, beet greens cook down considerably, even with brief cooking.  If cooking for more than one, you will want to use the greens from several bunches of beets.

1. Wash the greens thoroughly in several changes of water.  Separate the leaves from their stalks, keeping the stalks and leaves in separate piles as you work.  Cut the contents of each pile into two-to-four inch segments.
2. Heat a tablespoon or two (depending on how many greens you have) of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, then add the stalks and sauté for a couple minutes until they start to get tender.
3. Add the leaves and continue to sauté another minute or two, until they wilt slightly.  At that point, add a small amount of liquid (stock, wine, or water), lower the heat, and cover the skillet.  
4. Cook, checking occasionally, until the stalks and leaves reach the desired consistency.  I like mine on the al dente side, so just a few minutes total cooking time did the trick for me.
5. (Optional) Add a splash of vinegar or citrus juice.

To make this a little dressier, consider sautéing some chopped garlic in the oil for a minute or two before starting to cook the stalks.