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Beets!

post #1 of 20
3/18/08 at 7:44am
Thread Starter 
Recently I've been enjoying beets. For some reason I never really cared for them except when making fresh vegetable juice and in borscht.

I'd like some ideas for roasting beets (what's your favorite way to roast 'em) and any other ideas you may have for their preparation.

Thanks!

shel
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post #2 of 20
3/18/08 at 9:20am
You should read Tom Robbin's Jitterbug Perfume.
Interesting beet anecdotes through a thousand years.
....and of course, a journey searching for the perfect taco
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post #3 of 20
3/18/08 at 9:45am
Peeled, salt and black pepper and olive oil. Fold into foil and roast at 350ºF unntil semi soft. At that point you can also puree it, add olive oil and balsamic vinegar and make a very nice vinaigrette that goes great with tuna.
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post #4 of 20
3/18/08 at 9:49am
that is actually the book that got me to try beets! I felt that after such praise, I should give them a shot. Now I absolutely love them.
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post #5 of 20
3/18/08 at 10:39am
This suggestion is very simple:

wrap whole beets (unpeeled) in aluminum paper. Place in oven at 350F for 45min to 90min (depending on size) or until they yield (getting soft) when pressed.
Wear a pair of latex surgical gloves. Take off the aluminum paper then under cold running water rub off the skin (it should yield easily if the beet is cooked correctly).
Slice, dice or julienne to your hearts desire.... (a pat of butter is good also).

Luc H
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post #6 of 20
3/18/08 at 11:38am
Watch Homaro Cantu vs Morimoto Iron Chef America. The entire battle has some great ideas from both chefs of what to do with something as simple as beets.

Homaro Cantu's Frozen Beet Orb:
Inject beet puree into a balloon, roll balloon in liquid nitrogen until juice solidifies into a frozen orb, remove baloon with a blow torch.
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post #7 of 20
3/18/08 at 11:43am

beets

You can use a pressure cooker for them. Add some water and washed and scrubbed beets, cook for around 20 minutes. After cooling, they can be easily peeled using your fingers or a small knife. Just slice or dice them, and season with a little salt and olive oil.

Don't throw away that red and nutricious leftover water. It can be used for making some Jello (cherry or strawberry flavor). Or use as part of the water to cook your rice. It will be kind of pink.:roll:
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post #8 of 20
3/18/08 at 2:28pm
I just saw an Alton Brown show where he "did" beets. You can probably find the recipe on his web site (Food Network.com).

Also, just wanted to mention that in an other thread you talked about a blueberry and cream cheese omlet you had made. Tried it this past weekend and I really enjoyed it. Only change was that my blueberries were fresh (because that's what I had on hand). I'll definitely be making that again! Thanks for the tip.
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post #9 of 20
3/18/08 at 3:05pm
Thread Starter 
That vinaigrette with tuna sounds most interestin. I will definitely try it the next time I buy ome tune! Thanks!

shel
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post #10 of 20
3/18/08 at 3:09pm
Thread Starter 
Great! I just downloaded the transcrip of the show and the recipes. Good Eats Fan Page


So glad you enjoyed the omelet. It's not b;ueberry season here, so wild or frozen organic is what I used. Where do you get fresh blueberries this time of year?

shel
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post #11 of 20
3/18/08 at 7:10pm
Thread Starter 
Unfortunately, I don't have a pressure cooker ... maybe I should think about getting one. Some friends use them and are pleased with the results.

Shel
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post #12 of 20
3/18/08 at 7:14pm
Thread Starter 
Nice to see your smiling pixels, Luc. Sounds like some pretty solid and straightforward advice. Any thoughts about roasting the beets without wrapping them in foil?

shel
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post #13 of 20
3/18/08 at 7:16pm
Thread Starter 
Always looking for something interesting to read. Tks for the tip!

shel

[quote=Cat Man;214266]You should read Tom Robbin's Jitterbug Perfume.
Interesting beet anecdotes through a thousand years.
....and of course, a journey searching for the perfect taco[/quote]
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post #14 of 20
3/18/08 at 7:42pm
[/quote]

From Wikipedia

Jitterbug Perfume is Tom Robbins' fourth novel, published in 1984. The major themes of the book include the striving for immortality, the meaning behind the sense of smell, individual expression, self-reliance, sex, love, and religion. Beets and the god Pan figure prominently. The novel is a self-described epic, with four distinct storylines, one set in 8th century Bohemia and three others in modern day New Orleans, Seattle, and Paris.

Cat Man
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post #15 of 20
3/18/08 at 7:57pm
Shel-
I never liked beets much until I found James Beard's admonition to NEVER break the skin before cooking. Leave a little root and a little stem, cook as desired, and then peel. Makes the most delicate flavor.

Mike
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post #16 of 20
3/19/08 at 6:49am
Thread Starter 
This is what I've learned recently from several sources on the subject of roasting beets.

shel
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post #17 of 20
3/19/08 at 7:24am
Mom makes a kickass Borsht



hot and cold.

She is Belorussian, but she makes the more "pink" cold one which I don't think is "traditional" belarus.
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post #18 of 20
3/19/08 at 7:28am

I'm game to join a love-in for Tom Robbins and James Beard

Tom Robbins fans, TR also has a healthy respect for the right tomato. Read Villa Incognito and I think it's called Wild Ducks Flying Backward (you know that newer book where he cleaned out his drawers for bits and pieces of writing and made a million bucks) :smoking: Fierce Invalids Home From Hot Climates is a blast too.

While we're at it, add Seattle to the love-in also. What an awesome city and people.

Luc, that's how I do my beets too usually at home, sometimes i do use a slightly higher temperature and I'm not afraid to roast them for some time too. Love a salad with roasted beets, some tender lettuce like Bibb or Boston, the right dressing and other items of choice.

When I'm trying to eat healthfully, I also grate raw beets onto salads. They're delicious raw too.
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post #19 of 20
3/20/08 at 7:10am
Hmm I don't know Shel....
Maybe a little rub of oil on the skin would do instead of alum paper.
Or maybe a parchment paper wrap like <in papillote>.

Luc H (pixeling and grinning away...)
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post #20 of 20
3/20/08 at 7:17am
At our resto. we steam the beets in their skins. Peel, cut and toss in a vinaigrette to help fix colour. They turn out very nice. I was always one for roasting beets myself but (once again) Chef has made a believer out of me.

For personal use (where food cost, labour isn't an issue) I don't think that roasting beets in a salt crust can be, well, beat.

--Al
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