You’ve heard stories of the famous Russian centenarians like Shirali Mislimov (who died at 168), and wondered just how they managed to stay active and alive for all those years. Well, it could be all the borscht they ate, specifically, all the beets.
These crimson root vegetables contain nutrients that help protect against heart disease and certain cancers. They are an excellent source of Vitamins C and B, folate, manganese, potassium, dietary fiber, magnesium, iron, copper and phosphorus.
You can eat beets raw or cooked. To cook them, heat the oven to 400°F, wrap the beets together in foil, place on a baking sheet, and bake until tender, about 1 hour. Then let them cool, and peel them!
If your hands get stained while you are handling the beets, just rub some lemon juice on them, and the red will disappear ☺
Here are some simple serving suggestions:
Simply grate raw beets for a delicious and colorful addition to salads or decorative garnish for soups.
Add chunks of beet when roasting vegetables in the oven.
Sauté beet greens with other braising greens such as chard and mustard greens.
Marinate steamed beets in fresh lemon juice, olive oil, and fresh herbs.
My favorite is adding crumbled goat cheese to marinated beets
Beet season will soon be upon us, so pick some up at a farmer’s market, and start experimenting with this sweet, delicious food– Hot, cold, raw, cooked, soup-ed or
salad-ed, this vegetable will add color and nutrition to your meal!
– Josie
