We're really enjoying Sunday morning farmer's market shopping. This weekend I came upon the most fabulous beets!! Beautiful red & yellow beets- stems, leaves and all. What drew me to them was the enormous size of the red beet roots!
The large one came in at 10"!!
I could barely bring myself to cook them, they were so intriguing. But, in the end, I did, and from $4 worth of organic beets, I created a lovely, simple, delicious salad that provided bounteous meals for days!
Simple Beet Salad:
- After washing the beets/stems/leaves, I cut the stems & leaves off (save for later).
- I roasted the beet roots in the oven until soft, and peeled them afterward.
- Then, I cut the stems off and boiled them for about 5 minutes in salted water, until tender.
- Take the stems out - and boil the leaves in the same water for a minute or two, until wilted.
- Cool both stems and leaves under running water, then drain.
After that, I chopped the beets, stems, and leaves up and placed them in a large bowl. I added sliced onions, chopped fresh garlic (1 or 2 cloves), some fresh roasted walnuts and pecans (just browned them stove top), avocado, and shaved Parmesan. I dressed it with extra virgin olive oil, the juice of one lemon, and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Salt & pepper to taste. Toss and enjoy!
I can't tell you how delicious this was and how wonderfully satisfying it was too. Filling in a very nourishing way. I saved some of the beets and kept them plain for the kid to try. Neither one of them were instant fans. However, Katie did say, "I don't really like the flavor, but I think they are beautiful!". Got to love that.
On a side note: the stems, when cooked, have a creamy, buttery flavor, not unlike artichoke or asparagus! Yum!! I hard a hard time not eating all them prior to making the salad. And, from what I understand, the stems and leaves have more of all the good nutrients than the roots themselves!
Did you know? - Beets have been used medicinally for centuries and are considered a wonderful cleansing and nourishing tonic that builds the blood, particularly improving the blood quality for menstruating women! (good stuff!)
With any luck, beets will help keep my beat going on, and on!