Beauty of the Beet

A few weeks ago I attended a chef’s potluck dinner in Northern California. Everyone who was asked to bring a vegetable dish brought a salad of red and golden beets, as did I. Last week in New York, one of the most interesting dishes I ate was, you can guess, a beet salad at Mario Batali’s restaurant Babbo.

Are beets replacing tomatoes as the vegetable of summer? I hardly think so, but these incidents do say something about the possibilities of beets as a warm-weather vegetable that warrants a second look. Or maybe a first one.

Like many foods that we think of as winter storage vegetables (turnips and cabbage), beets in fact are at their prime at this time of year. It’s hard to imagine a farmers market right now that isn’t filled with mounds of red, golden and Chioggia beets, their dense, leafy greens every bit as tasty as the roots.

The beet is a terrific hot-weather vegetable, yet people resist it. Partly it’s because we just don’t think of beets now. But it’s also because of their taste, the sometimes too-forceful way they combine sweetness with extreme earthiness.

But when beets are treated to the cooling acidic nip of vinegar and lemon, their flavor extremes are joined into an easier-to-like whole. Their silky texture, their jewel-like colors and the fact that they’re delicious served cold make them a great choice.

Although beets used to be thought of as only red, they come in a variety of colors, shapes and sizes.

Probably the most popular of these “new beets” is the Chioggia (pronounced key-OH-ja), also known as a bull’s-eye or candy-stripe beet because of the way its flesh is ringed in concentric circles of red and white. With its orange-red skin tinged with shades of scarlet, the Chioggia is a gorgeous beet, a little flatter than most, and generally one that flourishes in cooler weather.

The sunny golden beet is also a very pretty vegetable, with thick leathery-looking leaves that are deceptively tender. It has a milder flavor than most red beets, and the color doesn’t bleed the way red does. (Farmers seem to be having a hard time with this variety this year, so they’re not quite as plentiful as they have been in other years.)

To keep their colors translucent and pure, steam golden and Chioggia beets. Roasting them rather muddies the colors.

When it comes to red beets, keep your eyes open for the Mangle and Lutz varieties. These are truly gigantic vegetables whose stems are about 2 feet long before the leaves open out, but they’re very juicy and wonderfully balanced when it comes to flavor.

At the other extreme are the Dutch baby varieties such as Pronto and Kleine Bol (meaning “little ball”). The ultra-dark long beets, like Cylindra, are convenient for cutting lots of similar-size slices.

When you can, buy beets with their greens attached. They don’t necessarily guarantee goodness, but they are mild and delicious and don’t take long to cook to tenderness.

Use them like spinach and chard. To cook them, discard yellow or bruised leaves, then wilt the good ones in a skillet with some olive oil and a sliver of garlic.

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Madison is author of “Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone” (Broadway, 1997).

Beets and Their Greens With Marjoram and Pine Nuts

Active Work Time: 30 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 45 minutes

You can concentrate just on beets for this or combine them with a host of other foods, like potatoes, roasted peppers and hard-boiled eggs. This sauce goes well with everything. Use a good aged red wine vinegar if you have it.

1 small red onion, thinly sliced in rounds

White wine vinegar

8 to 12 small beets, golden and/or Chioggia, including greens

Red wine vinegar

1/4 cup pine nuts

2 chunks country bread (about 4 square inches together)

1 small clove garlic

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon chopped fresh marjoram

3 tablespoons chopped parsley

4 to 6 tablespoons olive oil

Freshly ground pepper

* Toss onion with white wine vinegar nearly to cover and refrigerate to crisp and color until needed, 20 to 25 minutes.

* Trim beets, leaving 1 inch of stems and tails. Reserve greens. Steam beets until a knife pierces them easily, 15 to 20 minutes. Slip off skins with your hands. Trim tops and tails and quarter beets. Sprinkle with a little red wine vinegar. Steam greens until tender, then refrigerate.

* Toast pine nuts in dry skillet over medium heat until golden, 5 to 10 minutes, then remove to a plate.

* Cover bread with 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar. Pound garlic in mortar with salt until smooth, then add vinegar-soaked bread, marjoram, parsley and half pine nuts. Pound into a fragrant paste. Stir in olive oil to make a thick dressing (add the larger amount if you want more of salsa verde), and season with pepper.

* Toss beets with sauce. Place beets on individual plates or single platter with greens. Remove onion slices from vinegar and strew them over beets. Garnish with remaining pine nuts and serve.

4 servings. Each serving: 407 calories; 634 mg sodium; 1 mg cholesterol; 23 grams fat; 47 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams protein; 2.92 grams fiber.

Golden Beet Caviar

Active Work Time: 10 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 35 minutes plus 1 hour chilling

During the summer when they’re available, golden beets make a jewel-like “caviar,” but when they’re not to be had, I use red ones and switch from rice wine to balsamic vinegar. Best of all is when there’s the opportunity to make three individual caviars using golden beets in one, red in another and Chioggia in the third for a stunning rainbow of color. I like to keep a supply in the refrigerator at all times. It’s extremely refreshing and can be called into service as appetizer, relish or salad at a moment’s notice.

4 golden beets, about 1 pound, or mixed colors

1 large shallot, finely diced

1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar (balsamic if using red beets)

1 tablespoon Sherry or red wine vinegar

Salt

1/4 teaspoon sugar

Freshly ground pepper

Chopped parsley or chervil

* Leaving 1 inch of stem and all of the roots, steam beets until they’re tender-firm when pierced with a knife, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool, then slip off skins. Cut into chunks, then pulse 6 to 8 times in food processor until finely chopped, taking care not to turn beets into mush.

* While beets are cooking, steep shallot in rice vinegar and Sherry with 1/4 teaspoon salt and sugar 10 minutes. Add some freshly ground pepper, whisk together and pour over beets. Toss and taste for salt. Toss again with parsley and chill before serving.

1 1/2 cups. Each 1-tablespoon serving: 9 calories; 26 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 0 fat; 2 grams carbohydrates; 0 protein; 0.17 gram fiber.

Vinegared Beets Nested in Their Greens

Active Work Time: 15 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 45 minutes

Perfect for small garden beets about 1 inch across, with fresh tender tops, though you can use larger ones, cut into wedges. An assortment of red, striped and golden beets looks irresistible. This is from Madison’s book “Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone” (Broadway, 1997).

About 2 pounds beets, plus their greens

1 1/2 tablespoons butter or olive oil

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

2 to 4 teaspoons balsamic or Sherry vinegar

* Trim greens from beets, leaving 1 inch of stems, and steam beets until tender, 15 to 25 minutes, depending on their size. Peel, quarter and set aside.

* Discard stems and any greens that don’t look up to snuff. Steam greens until tender, about 5 minutes, then toss with half the butter and season with salt and pepper. Arrange them in a nest on a plate.

* In another skillet, heat beets with remaining butter over medium heat. Add vinegar and shake pan until it evaporates, 30 seconds. Spoon beets into center of greens and serve.

4 to 6 servings. Each of 6 servings: 93 calories; 187 mg sodium; 8 mg cholesterol; 3 grams fat; 15 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams protein; 1.21 grams fiber.

Beets With Ricotta Salata and Olives

Active Work Time: 20 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 45 minutes

From Madison’s “Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone” (Broadway, 1997).

1 1/2 to 2 pounds beets

1 small clove garlic

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 cups arugula

1/4 pound ricotta salata cheese, thinly sliced

8 Kalamata olives

Freshly ground pepper

* Leaving 1 inch of stem and all of the roots, steam beets until they’re tender-firm when pierced with a knife, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool, then slip off skins. Cut beets in quarters or sixths, keeping different colors, if using, separate.

* Pound garlic and salt in a mortar until smooth, then stir in lemon juice and olive oil. Dressing should be a little on the tart side. Toss each kind of beet in enough dressing to coat lightly.

* Arrange beets on a platter and garnish with arugula leaves. Just before serving, tuck cheese among greens, along with olives. If any dressing remains, spoon it over cheese. Season with pepper.

4 to 6 servings. Each of 6 servings: 139 calories; 325 mg sodium; 10 mg cholesterol; 9 grams fat; 13 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams protein; 1.06 grams fiber.

Roasted Red Beets With Anise Vinaigrette

Active Work Time: 35 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 50 minutes

Steaming beets gives them clarity of color and flavor, but roasting adds layers of flavor when the sugars caramelize. Keep this in mind for when the weather starts to cool off a bit. From Madison’s “Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone” (Broadway, 1997).

1 1/2 pounds red beets

Extra-virgin olive oil

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

1 teaspoon anise seeds

1 clove garlic

2 teaspoons Sherry vinegar

* Peel beets, then dice into small cubes. Toss with enough oil to lightly coat and season with salt and pepper to taste. Place on baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees until juices begin to caramelize and beets are tender-firm, about 25 minutes. Make sure they have plenty of room so that they don’t just steam.

* Crush anise seeds in mortar with garlic and salt to taste then whisk in vinegar and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Pour over warm coked beets. Serve right away or marinate for several hours or overnight, then serve chilled.

4 to 6 servings. Each of 6 servings: 112 calories; 131 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 7 grams fat; 12 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams protein; 0.97 gram fiber.

Beet and Spinach Salad With Lemon, Cilantro and Mint

Active Work Time: 20 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 45 minutes

These herbs also flatter the versatile beet. Serve with yogurt cheese or Havarti with dill and dark bread for a salad-meal.

2 pounds beets

Grated zest of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons finely diced red onion

1/2 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

2 teaspoons fresh mint leaves, slivered

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

5 cups tender spinach leaves, optional

1/4 cup black oil-cured olives

* Leaving 1 inch of stem and all of the roots, steam beets until they’re tender-firm when pierced with a knife, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool, then slip off skins. Cut beets in quarters or sixths.

* Whisk lemon zest, juice, onion, salt and pepper to taste, coriander, parsley, mint, cilantro and oil in small bowl. Taste on a beet and correct seasonings, if necessary. Toss beets with enough dressing to cover lightly. Toss spinach with remaining dressing and arrange on salad plates. Add beets and olives and serve.

4 to 6 servings. Each of 6 servings: 194 calories; 337 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 14 grams fat; 16 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams protein; 1.31 grams fiber.

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Beet Basics

* Regardless of how you cook beets, be sure to leave the tail, skin and at least an inch of the stem attached. This helps keep the juices and flavor inside.

* Beets are easier to peel after cooking. When a beet is properly tender, its skin will just slide off in your hands.

* Red beet juice stains whatever it touches. When combining beets with other vegetables or making a salad of different-colored beets, keep the beets separate until the last minute.

* Beets are more versatile than you might think. Try them with anise seed, cumin or marjoram as well as with more obvious herbs like dill. In fall, beets and apples in a curried dressing are absolutely right on.

* Acidity is essential to balance those sweet and earthy notes. I always add a squeeze of lime or lemon to hot buttered beets, but beets easily take to a range of vinegars--rice, balsamic, Sherry, aged red wine, herb vinegars and so forth.

* Pungent seasonings such as horseradish, capers and pickled onions are always good with beets too.