Arts, Beets and Eats!

Beets are plentiful this time of year, but they are a controversial vegetable. People either love them or hate them. But few vegetables inspire a novel. Beets inspired Tom Robbins to write "Jitterbug Perfume". The book is about beets providing the base notes for a perfume. His point in the story is that beets smell like the earth. My point is some people don't appreciate or enjoy the earthiness that comes from a beet. Beets have a high sucrose content,9.2 g per 1 cup serving, for a vegetable, but a concentration of certain chemical that can leech into the beets from the soil can cause a mineral tang. When preparing a beet, either raw or cooked, it's our job to tame the earthy notes while encouraging their incredible sweetness and beautiful color.

Why bother? Because the vitamins and minerals in beets and beet greens, along with the antioxidants and phytochemicals make this vegetable an excellent food choice! Beet roots are an excellent source of folate, a good source of manganese, and a source of vitamin C, potassium, iron, magnesium and thiamin. Although beets are a source of iron, keep in mind that the form of iron found in plant sources, such as beets and beans, isn't as readily absorbed by the body as iron from animal sources. However, beets also contain vitamin C, which improves absorption of iron from plant sources.

Vitamins
Vitamin B5 4%
Vitamin B6 5%
Vitamin C 8%
Folate 37%
Niacin 3%
Riboflavin 4%
Thiamin 3%
Minerals
Calcium 2%
Copper 11%
Iron 7%
Magnesium 21%

Beets are rich in anthocyanins, the pigment that makes the root red, and is responsible for the repair and protection of DNA in the body. Anthocyanins are photonutrients that are widely distributed in fruits and vegetables. Beets contain beta-carotene. Beta-carotene is a carotenoid, highly pigmented red, orange, yellow and dark green plants, that converts to vitamin A for future use in the body. About 40% of the carotenoids we eat are converted to vitamin A; the rest function as antioxidants. Beets are an excellent source of folate, a water-soluble B group vitamin. Because the body doesn't keep excess amounts of the water-soluble vitamins in reserve, the body must replenish them daily. Folate plays a crucial role in every body function that requires cell division. This helps explain the importance in fetal development. Prior and during pregnancy, folate helps prevent neurological defects, such as spina bifida, in the fetus. All women of childbearing age need to have a regular source of folate. The many tasks of folate include making blood cells, building muscles, healing wound and producing chemicals that keep the brain and nervous system functioning properly. Folate is essential for a healthy cardiovascular system. High folic acid content helps to reduce blood homocysteine levels and thought to reduce the risk of heart disease. (Rolfes, S., Pinna, K., and Whitney, E.,Understanding Normal and Clinical Nutrition, Seventh Edition,Thomson Wadsworth Publishers 2006; pgs 334-340;367-373)

Below are some ways I enjoy beets. I use them in salads, especially Greek. I also suggest you use the pickled beets as a replacement for pickles on your burger. I have also substituted beets for tomatoes when make a simple spaghetti sauce for a friend who was having trouble with digesting tomatoes. And don't forget to eat the beet tops! They are delicious and nutritious, too! Mangia!

Borscht
2 Tablespoons butter or bacon fat
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced
2 russet potatoes, peeled and diced
3 cups of chicken, beef or vegetable stock (broth is fine)
3 large beets or 6 medium beets, tops trimmed to 2 inches
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 Tablespoons fresh dill, chopped (or 2 tsp dried dill)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash beets but do not peel. Place on a large, cookie sheets covered with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Roast for 60 minutes or until the largest beet is easily pierce with a fork or metal skewer. Allow beets to cool. When cooled, rub the skins off with paper towel to prevent staining of your skin. While the beet pigment is water-soluble, it does stain counters, clothes and skin. Please use care.
Cut 1/2 the beets into shoestrings. Puree the other half in a food processor. Set aside.
Combine the onion, potatoes, stock and dill in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until potatoes are tender, which is about 20 minutes. Cool briefly.
Mash the potatoes into the stock. Stir in the beet puree and vinegar. Simmer for additional 10 minutes. Ladle about 1/2 Cup of the borscht into the sour cream and stir well. This is to temper the sour cream and prevent curdling. Pour tempered sour cream into borscht and stir well. Add shoestring beets and stir well.
Serving: You can serve this soup hot or chilled with an extra dollop of sour cream and some fresh dill sprigs for garnish.

Quick Pickled Beets

3 medium beets, tops trimmed to 2"
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash beets but do not peel. Place on a large, cookie sheets covered with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Roast for 60 minutes or until the largest beet is easily pierce with a fork or metal skewer. Allow beets to cool. When cooled, rub the skins off with paper towel to prevent staining of your skin. While the beet pigment is water-soluble, it does stain counters, clothes and skin. Please use care. Slice beets into 1/4" slices.

In a small saucepan, heat to boiling:
1/3 C of apple cider vinegar
1 medium onion, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, whole
2 Tablespoons of sugar
1/8 teaspoon of cloves
Reduce to a simmer for 5 minutes. Set aside.

Place sliced beets in a pint size jar. Pour vinegar mixture into jar over the beets. Cover and allow to cool. Place in refrigerator. The beets will keep for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

Braised Beet Greens
Please don't waste the beet tops! These are delicious and packed with as many nutrients, if not more, than the beet root. Use them as you would spinach or Swiss chard. Below is a simple recipe for braising them that my family likes.

12- 16 leaves of beet greens, stemmed trimmed
3 Tablespoon bacon fat
1 diced onion
1/4 cup of water (ham or chicken stock also works well here)
3 cloves of garlic, pressed
1 pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

In a large, wide saucepan or dutch oven, saute the onion in the bacon fat for 3 minutes. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for additional 1 minute. Place chard in the dutch oven and add water (or stock). Season with salt and pepper. Heat to boil.
Reduce heat to simmer until the greens are completely tender, about 30 minutes.
You can serve this as a side dish or add it to pasta with canned cannelini beans for a quick, light meal. You can also add it to the recipe below:

Beet greens and Artichoke Dip

1 above recipe of braised beet greens, drain excess moisture.
1 Cup of low-fat mayonnaise
1 package of fat-free cream cheese
15 oz can of artichoke hearts, drained (not marinated)
1 splash of Tabasco Sauce
1 cup of Parmesan cheese
1 Cup of Mozzarella cheese
Blend the above ingredients in a food processor and pour into a prepared baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Top with mozzarella cheese and bake an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve with crusty bread or tortilla chips.