Italian Basil
Beets (COG)
Sweet Bicolor Corn (NSOF)
Curly Kale (NSOF)
Moringa
Bicolor Okra
Sweet Habanero Peppers
Murasaki Sweet Potatoes
Slicer Tomatoes (NSOF)
Beets are pretty awesome. Seriously! Sometimes they get a bad rap – we blame those soggy canned beets found in most supermarkets – but nutritionally, beets have a lot to offer. Full of vitamins and essential minerals, they are also a good source of fiber, Vitamin C, and Vitamin B6.
Also, fun fact: beet sugar may have played a small role in ending the Caribbean slave trade. When the Napoleonic wars cut France off from West Indian sugar, scientists turned to beets; this provided an alternative to sugarcane harvested by slaves. Closer to home, 19th century abolitionists championed the sugar beet as “free sugar” because it was not produced by slave labor on sugar plantations. Of course beets just played a tiny role in ending this deplorable institution, but even today, the world still derives half of its sugar from sugarbeets.
Although beets can be eaten raw, they are generally boiled, baked, steamed, fried, grilled, or otherwise cooked. To retain the vegetable’s nutrients and color, cook the beets without peeling first. The skin easily rubs off under cold running water after cooking. We share a few of our favorite beet recipes below so you can reap the health benefits and enjoy this too-often underappreciated veggie!
Beet, Galangal, and Red Cabbage Soup – adapted from foodnetwork.com
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup chopped red onion
- 1 cup peeled and chopped potato
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh galangal
- 3 to 4 sprigs fresh thyme; 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1 1/2 cups peeled and diced red beets
- 1 1/2 cups shredded red cabbage
- Sour cream and toasted and chopped walnuts for garnish
Instructions:
Heat the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the potato, galangal, thyme, rosemary, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper and cook, stirring, until the potatoes are well coated, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in the broth and bring to a simmer.
Add the beets and cabbage and simmer until everything is tender, about 20 minutes, adjusting the heat as needed to maintain a simmer. Remove from the heat, discard the herbs and let cool at least 5 minutes. Carefully puree until smooth with a handheld immersion blender or in 2 to 3 batches in a blender (do not fill the blender more than halfway full).
Reheat the soup if necessary and adjust the consistency with water and seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. Serve hot with a dollop of sour cream and toasted chopped walnuts sprinkled on top.
Beet Hummus
Ingredients:
- 1 pound beets (about 3 medium or 2 large)
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black sesame seeds
- Two 10-ounce containers tahini hummus
- 1/2 cup labneh or full-fat Greek yogurt
- Cilantro leaves, for serving, optional
- Warm pita triangles, for serving
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 425. Peel the beets and cut them into 1-inch chunks. Toss the beets together with the coriander seeds, bay leaf, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 cup water in a square baking dish. Cover with aluminum foil and roast until the beets are very tender when pierced with a knife, about 45 minutes. Remove the foil and let cool about 10 minutes. Turn the oven down to 325 degrees F.
Spread the sesame seeds in a small ovenproof skillet or baking sheet and put in the oven to toast until fragrant, about 6 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.
Remove the bay leaf from the beets and discard. Transfer the beets and coriander seeds to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until fine and crumbly. Add the prepared hummus and continue to process until smooth and light, scraping down the bowl as necessary, about 5 minutes.
Scrape the beet hummus out into a medium serving bowl. Stir the labneh or yogurt vigorously in a small bowl with a spoon until it is creamy and loosened. Drop a dollop of the labneh or yogurt in the center and gently make an indentation in the center with the back of a spoon. Drizzle the remaining tablespoon olive oil into the indentation and let it spill over onto the beet hummus. Sprinkle with the black sesame seeds and some cilantro leaves. Serve with warm pita triangles.
Roasted Beets ‘n Sweets – adapted from allrecipes.com
Ingredients:
- 6 medium beets, peeled and cut into chunks
- 2 ½ tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 3 medium Murasaki sweet potatoes, cut into chunks
- 1 large sweet onion, chopped
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 400.
Toss beets with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil to coat in a bowl. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet.
Mix remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and sugar in a large resealable plastic bag. Place sweet potatoes and onion in the bag. Seal the bag and shake to coat vegetables with the oil mixture.
Bake beets in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Mix sweet potato mixture with beets on the baking sheet. Continue baking, stirring after 20 minutes, until all vegetables are tender, about 45 minutes.
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