Well, I envy the bunnies, the tops are really good if you like greens. I just wash them and toss them into a hot pan with the water still clinging and saute them, yum.

The bottoms I usually cook whole, it's easy to slip off the peels that way. Leave about an inch of the stems so that they don't "bleed" color into the water, then cook until tender. Dump them into a sink full of cold water, and the peels will slip right off, like tomato skins or peaches. I then slice or chunk them, butter/salt/pepper and enjoy them. They are also good with a sauce of orange juice and ginger with a bit of brown sugar.

I love beets. They are also good roasted, BTW.

Annie

I really don't have a lot of regard for boiled beets, but that certainly is one method and if that's what your dad likes, I'd make them that way.

Here's the Betty Crocker method:
Leave beets whole with 1-inch stem. Boil until tender, drain. Run cold water over them and slip off skins and root ends [Grainlady note: wear food-grade plastic gloves or you'll have red hands. Cover your clothes with an old apron or you may end up with beet juice all over your clothes.] For quick cooking, pare them first and then dice or slice them before cooking them. Boil whole, young, beets for 30-60 minutes; pared and cut beets only take 10-20 minutes.

You can also microwave them. Put 4 or 5 medium-sized beets in a microwave-safe bowl. Drizzle a couple tablespoons of water oven them. Cover and microwave for 4-5 minutes on HIGH, turn the beets, cover, and cook an additional 3-5 minutes, or until fork tender. Cool 5-minutes and peel.

Personally, I don't know why more people don't enjoy fresh beets shredded into their salad (raw beet salad with cabbage and an orange - or shredded raw beets, shredded carrot and ginger - dress with a little lime juice, olive oil, salt/pepper or any other herbs you'd like.

Beets a l'orange
(source: The Mayo Clinic Williams-Sonoma Cookbook)

Shredded beets cook in a fraction of the time of whole beets. To shred beets, first peel them, then use the large holes of a grater or a food processor fitted with the shredding blade.

1/2 c. water
2 t. sugar
1/4 t. ground pepper
1-1/2-pounds beets, peeled and shredded
3 T. cider vinegar
1 T. grated orange zest

In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, bring the water, sugar, and pepper to a boil. Stir in t beets. Cover and cook for 5 minutes, stirring once.

Uncover and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the water has mostly evaporated and the beets are tender, 5-7 minutes longer. Stir in the vinegar and orange zest.

-Grainlady

Think beets might be one of those things that's really hard to overcook?? I love 'em! I just trim both ends, cover with water, bring to boil, and simmer until knife goes in/out easily. Also like them roasted... wrapped in foil with generous glug of nice olive oil and S&P. I peel after they're cooked cuz skins just scrape right off.

I like them pickled... thin sliced or finely diced onions, vinegar and a touch of sugar. Like them warm/hot with butter and a splash of vinegar. My Grandmother made something called Harvard beets... basically pickled beets thickened with a touch of corn starch in water.

IMO, beets are one of the VERY few veggies where canned actually taste a lot like fresh... unlike pretty much every other canned veggie.

Thanks! You are all a big help.

Annie, come down and get some greens! The bunnies can't have that many. In fact, they had about three tops and I won't let them have any more until tomorrow, or they will be sick!

Tami

I actually prefer the greens to the beets. I chop and lightly saute in a small amount of butter with some fresh garlic. Heaven. Sort of a cross between chard and spinach.

Beets I steam whole until I can easily pierce with a fork. Cool to be able to handle under cold running water. The peel slips right off.

I don't care for canned beets so much. I do like fresh cooked ones. You can also make borscht.

Eileen

You've got it covered. Boil or steam, peel then do as you want with them. They last a very long time in the refrigerator pickled so if you like pickled, make plenty of them. Just remember not to add oil. Just some vinegar and water is best for lasting a long time. Then you can take some and add the onions if that's how you like them, even some dill is nice and use that amount in a week or so while leaving the bulk of them for the future batches. We almost always have pickled beets in the fridge. Christy is the one that eats them. In the fall when we usually get the beets I'll make a big batch and also freeze some beets for using for another batch of pickled beets in middle of winter. Lots of people do like them roasted too, so try some like that.

I cook them every way except boiling.

I see beets come in three parts, namely the green leaves, the red stems and the root. They all require different cooking time. I use them in separate recipes.

If you don't like the strong beet taste, try golden beets.

WARNING!!!

Don't go calling an ambulance if #1 or #2 comes out bloody the next day.

Some people cannot metabolize beet color.

dcarch

I boil them, peel them, slice them and then marinate them. Serve them cold on a salad of beets, romaine, walnuts or sunflower seeds, celery, red onions, and feta or goat cheese. YUMMO!

The greens are delicious too, IMHO! The best of the greens, although I am fast becoming a kale devotee since I started being able to get them fresh.

I love beets!

Cut off the tops, wilt them in hot pan with oil and salt - better yet, butter and salt - oh heck, duck fat and salt - and enjoy.

Beets themselves, leave whole and simmer for an hour, less if they are very small. Test by sticking with fork. When done, drain, let cool a bit, and cut off the skin which will be soft and may even peel off in big sheets. Leaving the beets whole makes peeling easier.

Then cut the beets up in chunks and do whatever you like - marinate in vinegar, coat in oil and vinegar and salt, toss in a tangy dressing, salt and briefly roast or broil until crusty, pur�e, etc.

Super nutritious. Lots of iron. Will make your cutting board and fingers red but it rinses off, I might not use my showpiece wooden board though. Will make your urine red, which is kind of fun right before you go in for your drug test.

I love them roasted. You don't even have to peel them- it slips right off when they're finished. My kids like them in their hashbrowns- 2 parts potato, one part beet, a little onion, s&p. I do prefer the greens as well- they make an awesome pesto.

Sucess! I don't know if Dad cooked what he kept or not, but DH was happy with his. I still have some left, cooling, so he will have them for a few more meals.

Thanks for all your help!
Tami

Tami, I'll be right down, don't give the bunnies all those greens. (grin)

Annie

lpink, try mixing beet greens wtih kale. With the piddling amounts we are getting from the CSA farm, I have mixed all sorts of greens together just to get a couple of servings. I've found they all play nicely together!

I like them cooked in a salad of orange segments and walnuts with a vinaigrette.

My favorite is roasting by far! By themselves or with brussel sprouts and red onions added to the pan. Roasted with olive oil, s&p then finished with a touch of balsamic.

Dcarch: funny...have a friend that went through a whole battery of tests only to discover his worry was put to rest when the doctor finally informed him about the effects of beets....apparently he had never eaten them before....I hope the doctor learned a lesson too.

My favorite beet recipe came from someone I know from the general region of Chechnya - little fuzzy on the geography of that region. Anyway - boiled beets peeled and diced, fresh pomegranate and chopped walnuts. Amazing and beautiful! He would object to anything else besides salt and pepper. I usually will add some olive oil, maybe garlic and a touch of vinegar and some kind of fresh herb. Maybe toast the walnuts. Added goat cheese once. All good.

I agree with all the suggestions for the greens. I have been known to buy a bunch of beets - cook the greens and leave the beets to shrivel away in my fridge.

I won't be cooking the greens, the bunnies will get some, then the rest probably thrown out unless Annie hurries up and gets down here!

I don't even have red fingers. No gloves either. Just one spot on the edge of one finger, but I also did strawberries too.

Thanks for all your help. I always know where to go when I have somethin new to try! I am a picky eater, and a very basic cook, so anything new, I yell for help!

Tami

LOL, darch! We call that getting a visit from "Chief Red Butt" LOL!!!

OMG I love beets and have a ton of them growing well in my garden. I can't get enough!

My favorite is roasted beets. I just wrap in foil and put them in a hot oven for 30-45 minutes. The skinks peel off. I use them in salads, or eat them warm.

I like to dice them up really fine and use them in risotto. They give a great color to the rice.

I make a beet curry with beets, onions, garlic, ginger, curry powder and then doctor it up a bit with Thai influences. Saut� the beets and onions with garlic and ginger until tender. You can throw in whatever spices you like during the saut�. I often add coriander and hot chills to my curry. Then I add coconut milk and simmer everything for a while until tender. I finish it with a bit of peanut butter to thicken and fresh lime juice and cilantro. YUM!!!

greg, I like beets all by themselves, but Elery would absolutely love that version of beets, I'm definitely going to try that.

Thanks.

Annie

All this talk about beets and no one mentioned borscht?

I mentioned borscht. No one paid any attention. :)

Eileen

Beet chips are good, too.

Slice very thin,
Deep fry until crisp.

Or, if you are concerned about fats in your diet,
Spread slices of same size
on a microwave safe plate,
And 'nuke' on high.
Approximately one minute in my microwave.
Timing may be different in others,
Also may vary according to amount of slices.

They should be crisp and slightly browned.

Delicious!

Rusty

The tops are delicious - saute in a bit of butter with some of the water left from rinsing. Yum.

The smaller leaves are very good
Raw in salads, too.

Rusty

Eileen, I'll second the borscht, or third it or whatever. I love the stuff, but I tend to not eat hot soup except in winter. Odd, I know, since I eat other hot foods.

Annie

After they are cooked and sliced, you can add gorgonzola cheese, coarsely chopped walnuts, and a bit of vinaigrette salad dressing and serve with arugula or frisee lettuce. That's the way I had them last, and they were good. I may not have eaten the lettuce.

Lars

Here is a link that might be useful: beet salad recipe

Lars, that sounds delicious. I had my last remaining cooked beet with some balsamic and sea salt and fresh ground pepper. Walnuts and gorgonzola would have been a very nice addition. Arugula is lovely, too.

Eileen

I also had beets for dinner, mine were homecanned pickled beets and I had them on a salad of fresh spinach leaves with some orange segments and a sprinkle of walnuts. I was going to make a dressing from the orange juice but Elery and I both agreed the salad did not need dressing. Elery would have loved some cheese on his, I didn't think of that.

Thanks, Lars, I'll remember that for next time. I'm not a lover of gorgonzola but feta or parmesan would be nice too, I think.

Annie

Annie, I normally don't like Gorgonzola either, but I did like it on this salad, which I had at Joe's Restaurant, down the street from where I lived in Venice. Roccocogurl took me there for my birthday, and I posted pictures years ago. I think you could use Brie instead, but TJ's has a bleu cheese Camembert that would also be good. A good feta would work as well (especially Bulgarian feta), but you would have to cut back on the salt in the dressing. The orange segments sound like a good addition - I'm just not very used to eating beets! We almost never had them when I was a child, but I love Japanese pickled beets. I guess they are the same as regular pickled beets! I like borshch, but I haven't had it often and have never made it. Maybe I should give it a try!

Lars

I think Japanese pickled beets are not as sweet as American pickled beets, and mine are quite spicy with whole cloves and pickling spice so they go well with fruit.

I do like feta, and that's a good tip on cutting the salt, I wouldn't have thought of that.

Annie