Beets are a bonus vegetable! Not only is the root delicious, but the green red veined tops are delicious and nutritious too. At this time of year as beets are harvested, the greens may be tougher, but can still be eaten. Successive plantings of beets in your garden can result in the harvest of tender, young beets and greens all season long. Beets belong to the same family as sugar beets, which are grown to produce table sugar (sucrose), and Swiss chard.

Fresh beets can be found in the traditional maroon red color, but don't limit yourself to just that color. At farmers' markets and produce stands you can find pink, white, gold/orange, or striped beets! Beets have a sweet, earthy flavor and can be eaten raw. Grate raw beets and include on a green salad. Beets retain their flavor even when canned, but fresh beets (cooked or raw) have an even sweeter taste and crisp texture. Actually there are more canned beets sold in the United States than fresh! So if you have only eaten canned beets, you will be in for a surprise when you taste fresh beets.

Look for beets which are reasonably similar in size, so they will cook in about the same amount of time. Beets that are two-and-a-half to four inches in diameter will boil in 45 to 60 minutes; larger ones can take up to two hours. Since larger beets can be woody, smaller beets are generally preferable.

As a child, I remember that my mother always served cooked sliced beets with a boiled dinner. She cooked the beets separately so they would not turn the other vegetables red. All the leftover vegetables potatoes, turnip, carrots, onions, and the beets were ground to make Red Flannel Hash for the day's meal. Here are some additional tips for using beets:

Add grated raw beets to coleslaw.

Add sliced cooked beets and onions to meat or poultry sandwiches.

Substitute grated raw beets for carrots when making carrot cake or muffins.

Toss grated raw beets, chopped apples, and your favorite dressing for a crunchy salad.

Add cooked beets to your tossed salad. Beets pair well with oranges, cantaloupes, or avocado for a salad or as an addition to a green salad.

Sautéed beet greens with garlic and olive oil. Serve with a splash of lemon juice.

For a salad, mix beets, goat cheese, and walnuts. Dress with sherry vinegar, orange juice and a pinch of mustard.

Another family favorite using beets was Harvard beets. This recipe for Harvard beets was taken from the University of Vermont Extension cookbook, Eating What We Grow:

Harvard Beets 2/3 cup cold water 1/4 cup vinegar

Rinse beets. Heat 6 cups of water and 1 teaspoon vinegar to a boil. Add rinsed whole beets. Cover and heat to boiling. Cook 35 to 45 minutes or until forktender. Drain beets and rinse with cold water. Slip off skin and remove beet ends. Slice into shoestring pieces.

In a small saucepan, stir together cornstarch, sugar, salt, and pepper. Gradually stir in water and vinegar. Cook stirring constantly until mixture thickens and boils. Boil one minute. Stir in beets and heat through.

Nutrition information per serving: 90 calories, 0 grams fat, 20 grams carbohydrate, 4 g dietary fiber, 2 grams protein, and 180 mg sodium.

Red, White, and Green Salad

Here's a recipe that uses several vegetables that are available fresh right now!Recipe from "Something Different", American Institute for Cancer Research, September 2003.
3 medium red beets
6 small new potatoes (about ?
lbs.)
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tbsp. whole grain mustard
1 tbsp. canola oil
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to
taste
1 cup green beans, defrosted
1/4 cup finely snipped dill or 1
tbsp. dried dill

Cut tops off beets, leaving one inch of stems above tops of beets. Place beets in a deep saucepan and cover them to a depth of 2 inches with cold water. Cook over high heat. When water boils, reduce heat, boiling gently until beets are easily pierced in the center with a think knife, about 35 minutes. Meanwhile, put potatoes in a medium pot and cover with an inch of cold water. Cook until potatoes are done, as tested with the beets, about 15 minutes. Steam or boil green beans until crisp tender 5-7 minutes. Drain each vegetable when done and transfer to a plate until cool enough to handle.

Pull skin from beets. Cut beets into 1-inch cubes. Cut potatoes into 8 pieces. Combine them in a bowl. Set aside until beet and potatoes are completely cooled. Place beans in a small bowl.

For the dressing, whisk together vinegar and mustard in a small bowl, then add and whisk in the oil, salt, and pepper. Spoon 1 tablespoon dressing over beans and toss to coat. Add dill to remaining dressing, mixing well. Add dressing to beets and potatoes and toss to evenly distribute. Heap dressed beets and potatoes on a serving plate. Arrange the beans over them. Serve immediately.

Makes a total of 4 cups or 8 servings.

Per serving: 110 calories, 4 g. total fat (less than 1 g. saturated fat), 19 g. carbohydrate, 3 g. protein, 3 g. dietary fiber, 95 mg. sodium.

Enjoy beets in family meals. Nothing beats the taste, color, and versatility of beets!Eat Fresh, Eat Local, Eat Well!