in the garden...beets.

Pulling a beet from the ground does not inspire an immediate appetite.  It has long red or green stems, you grab hold, yank, and a dirty spade shape emerges.  I used to avoid cooking them as the whole peeling thing seemed like too much work.  That changed for me when I discovered roasting: wash and dry the beets, put them in a baking pan or pyrex pan, toss them in olive oil, dust them with kosher salt, cover the pan tightly with tin foil and bake in a 375 oven for about 45 minutes or until a knife can pierce the beet effortlessly.  Take them out of the oven, let them cool a bit and then use a knife to peel off the skin, they should slip off easily.  Your beets are ready.  My favorite preparations at this point are to eat them warm with butter and a squeeze of lemon or to cut them in chunks and drizzle with a simple vinaigrette.

Beets contain a wealth of health benefits.  They are high in potassium, magnesium, fiber, phosphorous, iron, vitamins A, B and C, beta carotene and folic acid.  Beets contain betaine, a substance used in some treatments for depression.  They also containe trytophan, which relaxes the mind, creating a sense of happiness, much like chocolate.  No wonder there is a cult following for red velvet cake, the original version was made with grated beets, imagine the double dose of happiness in each bite.  Beets are high in sugar (natural, pure sugar) but low in calories, so great for a boost of energy. 

Over the summer, I invested in a juicer, a small breville juicer, under $100.  It is just perfect for my home concoctions, usually concentrated around beets.  I am pretty much in a slump.  I juice beets, carrots, ginger, apple or pears and kale.  It is absolutely delicious and always comes out perfectly.  I cannot brag enough.

Here are a few beet recipes:

Beet and Quinoa Pilaf
I would omit the cherry tomatoes here.

Roasted Beet and Blood Orange Salad

Warm Beet Salad with a Parmesan Dressing