Beets, Four Ways
Beets, Four Ways
Dorie Greenspan, author of Around My French Table, shares her favorite ways to prep colorful, luscious beets—take your pick!
Ingredients:
1 pound beets of your choice, such as Chioggia or red
Prep:
Cut beets loose from greens, leaving an inch of the stalk; save the greens for another use. (The greens are excellent sautéed with garlic, red pepper flakes and olive oil—eat as a stand-alone side dish, or enjoy with the rest of the beets!) Scrub beets under running water, using a vegetable brush if you have it.
Methods:
1. Roasted: Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 425°. Put the beets in a baking dish, pour in a few spoonfuls of water, cover the dish with foil and stab a little hole in it. Roast for 35-60 minutes, depending on the size of the beets, until you can pierce easily with a knife. Peel once cool enough to handle.
2. Steamed: Arrange a steam basket in a saucepan and add enough water to come to about 1 inch under the basket. Add beets, cover the pan and steam over medium-high heat until beets can be easily pierced with a knife, about 20-30 minutes for small beets and up to 1 hour for large ones. Peel once cool enough to handle.
3. Boiled: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Drop in beets and boil them until tender. Drain and peel once cool enough to handle.
4. Microwaved: Put beets into microwave-safe container with a few drops of water, cover and cook on high power for 10 minutes. Remove the beets once they are tender enough to be pierced easily with a knife. (If they are still too firm, cook in 30-second spurts until done). Cool and peel.
Once prepped, add to a salad or toss with your favorite fresh herbs and vinaigrette and enjoy!
