Last night eleven inches of snow fell on top of the eighteen inches already on the ground. I pulled on my snow pants this morning, waded out to the barns, and had to shovel to get the doors open.
It’s a good day to be in the kitchen.
I bought beets at last Saturday’s farmers’ market.
Typical of a root vegetable, they’re a bit gnarly and off-putting. But beets are actually not difficult to prepare. Some people bake them, and then slip the skins off, but I find that peeling them first is easier. Any way you do it, the beets will dye your hands bright red. It wears off in a day, and I knew I wasn’t going anywhere in this snow. Usually, though, I wear disposable gloves when I work with beets.
Isn’t this beet looking prettier already? I love the color.
I’m going to make baked beets, so I chop them and put them in a heavy baking dish. To ease clean-up, I enclose them in heavy foil. These are juicy beets, but I add two tablespoons of water anyway, to ensure that they steam as they bake.
Put the dish in a 350º F oven for 90 minutes.
I like to eat plain baked beets right out of the oven – they’re like vegetable candy. I like them chilled atop a green salad. I also like to dress them and eat as a side-dish. Beets pair particularly well with citrus.
Baked Beets with Orange Dressing
1 pound baked beets, peeled and cubed
2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed orange juice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon grated orange zest (only if using an organic orange)
1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
Whisk the dressing and toss with the beets.
yum! love beets, they’re my favorite shade of red.)
Well, you already got me eating brussel sprouts..which I thought I would never do…so now I will give these a whirl! I always see them but I never buy them because I haven’t a clue what to do with them! Thank you Terry!
For those of us who grew up eating canned beets (ugh!) and litteraly leaving them uneaten at those long-ago tables, I am delighted to learn of a delicious alliterative for cooking this homely root. Thank you Terry.
How did you get into the pen this morning to do the chores?
joyce
My mouth is watering, thank goodness it’s lunch time.
Terry I mentioned in a earlier blog if you thought you would see the ground my mid March, I know wonder if you will see it by mid April.
That is a lot of snow.
Ken, yes, it is a ridiculous amount of snow.
Joyce, I waded through the snow – it’s up to my knees, even on the previously shoveled paths, and then I had to shovel snow away from the doors. Later, Steve went out and did the major shoveling. But it’s a gorgeous day now! Sunny and very pretty.
To everyone else who wrote that they’re going to try beets – yay! I love beets. (Just to warn you, if you’re not a beet eater – they’ll dye your pee red. I had a friend who ate beets for the first time before a camping trip and he thought he was going to die on the mountain!)
How often do you make the treck outside in a day?
thanks for the recipes. I’m not a fan of canned beets, but my wife and I are going to try these.
Thanks for the recipes and update. I’ve recently discovered your blog and check back daily!
I go out to care for the animals three times a day, and more just for fun! In all honesty, my husband often makes the last trek out to close them up at night. Not everyone loves beets like I do, but you’ll find the home baked ones much better than the canned.
I love beets. I grow them every year and can jars and jars of pickled beets. I’ve already ordered my seeds from Johnny seeds cause I am anticipating spring very much.
I adore pickled beets!
I love beets! We grow them every year in our garden. Thanks for the new orange dressing recipe. It sounds great, especially since I love oranges, too.
Wow. That’s alotta snow. The weather reports are telling us there’s more on the way (as if you haven’t had enough already!).
Beetroot is just about my favourite veg – they really do taste of the earth. left-over roast beet (if there are any!) make lovely soup too, and are good with game. My husband hates them so I get to eat the lot and they are the easiest thing to grow, nothing bothers them in the ground, you just sow and forget until harvest! And it isn’t just your wee that turns pink…
What is it with husbands and beets? Steve doesn’t like them either.
I love homemade pickle beets, I can eat them until I get a stomach ache.
My grandma once made her kitchen curtains out of dying flour sack dish towels in beet juice. Don’t remember what they looked like but the story gets told a lot.
Hint! In the harvest season (if you need to buy your beets), get them at a local farmer’s stand as I do. Most everyone asks to have the greens cut off! I always ask if there are any extra beet greens and invariably I get an extra free bunch of delicious greens. Yum!!