Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Even if you don't like Beets...

I know some people named Jon will claim beets taste like eating a nice big mouthful of dirt. But after coming up with this recipe I've almost gotten him convinced that it may be possible to eat beets. This is a great recipe for using up those beets when you have an overload from your CSA and are sick of them as a plain salad topper.
Cut off tops/tips of your beets (I've used gold or purple). Add them to boiling water and cook long enough to just soften the tough skin. About 30-40 minutes. This will slightly cook the beets and soften the outer skin. Rub your fingers over the skin and it should easily fall of the beet. Chop the beets up into bite size chunks. Add salt and pepper, and any other desired seasoning. Toss the beets with a citrus infused olive oil and vinegar (cider vinegar or rice vinegar). I've made this with both tangerine and blood-orange infused olive oils. The citrus flavor lightens and sweetens the earthy beet flavor, while the seasoning and vinegar keeps the savory salad flavors. A diced cucumber or yellow pear tomatoes are also a great addition to this salad. It is great by itself or on top of a green salad. This keeps well in the fridge for over a week.