I'll straight up admit it.
We never had them growing up, and the only time I've encountered them has been at good old Baltimore restaurants where they use the spiced kind used as a garnish on the side of the plate, tucked next to the fresh orange slice. Even then, I smelled them, but I didn't eat it.
I've been eyeing them at the farmer's market, so I decided to be adventurous and slip a bunch into my recycled bag. I was pleasantly surprised when I took a bite of my first raw beet. It was sweet with a starchy taste...almost like a sugary potato. And the color...the color is so fantastic! So rich, so red, so vibrant.
This morning I tricked my father into letting me make him breakfast. I fixed him two eggs over easy; three slices of uncured nitrate-free hickory smoked bacon; a slice of whole wheat bread; and side of beet greens (yes - you can eat the green tops!) sauteed in bacon drippings, onions, and garlic. I used this recipe as inspiration. You can't go wrong by cooking something in bacon drippings. Great googly moogly. They were GOOD.
So now I'm on the hunt for beet recipes. I've found some really delicious looking and creative ones, and I thought I'd share them with you. A few of the recipes break my rules right now (no red meat, gluten, grains, dairy, caffeine, sugar), but they may work for you or serve as a springboard for your own creative ideas.
If you are a beet eater, what's your favorite way to prepare/eat beets?
Beet and Goat Cheese Napoleons
(Fifteen Spatulas)
(Fifteen Spatulas)
(The Whinery 2.0)
(My New Roots)
(A Doctor's Kitchen)
(Green Kitchen Stories)
(NY Times)
Erin: I, too, love beets. I ate them almost exclusively pickled until I started roasting them, a little olive oil, some S&P -- oh. so. good!!! And my husband doesn't like beets, but he's been eating the greens when I make a stir-fry; he is none the wiser and assumes they are red swiss chard. If he asks, I'll confess, but I'll let him believe what he wants for now. Sometimes we have to be sneaky when we love someone and want them to eat well. I never really considered eating raw beets, but you and your blog inspire me on many occasions. I'm going to try them raw. Thank you for a blog worth reading.
ReplyDeleteSerious beet-eater over here! I simply can't get enough, although I usually prepare golden beets rather than red since they're less messy, and a bit more mild/sweet. I usually just toss them into huge mixed salads, but my golden carrot soup (golden beets, carrots, and miso) is a top pick.
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