We managed to get out of town yesterday for some serenity, though there were people everywhere. I managed to get into my favorite country butcher, it looks like their smoker hasn't been operating or else they were just sold out of bacon. Anyway got a couple of nice small rib steaks, and I noticed in the cooler they had some fresh halibut steaks at a decent price. So last night we had surf'n'turf, steak and halibut grilled over charcoal, with fresh asparagus and beet greens. Pork chops tonight, I think with pasta and asparagus (will chop up the asparagus, lightly sautee in a bit of olive oil, toss with cooked farfalle, fresh herbs and parmesan, maybe a squeeze of lemon). Oh and I was in the local Syrian shop and picked up some harissa, which I will brush on the meat before grilling.
As for the tops of beets, it is probably very interesting for a salad or side dish. We have beet tops in some vegan soups. But do people eat raw grated beets in Canada and the USA? Once we were served such a side dish for meat in Africa. Including it was a bit of grated raw beets with good vinegar and, possibly, a drop of olive oil.
Beets are generally the first vegetable in the garden, excluding adparagus and fiddleheads. The young shoots are tasty and tender when steamed, and packed full of nutrients. I do not recall ever eating raw beets, here they are usually pickled or boiled or roasted. I can imagine it might be like a slaw and wuite good.
We use the beet leaves in soups, and, almost exclusively, eat the beets after roasting them in the oven (as opposed to raw).
Your meals sound great Nezzy.
A favourite among the converted. I will be enjoying the same tonight, along with an assortment of other greens.
Not me. Fermented yes.
A delightful taste sensation when done right.
I'm 40yr. ahead Madeline Kamman introduced me to beets roasted in skins, with a cream and mustard sauce very nice.
Well that sucked, I had the chops done and the pasta made and just started the asparagus when I got a call from work, spent the next 5 hours on an outage call. I ate some cold food part way through. 🙁
In Russia, do not eat raw beets. Therefore, we were very surprised. But, with good vinegar, it was very tasty and subsequently I also began to experiment like this and sometimes cook like that, since many root crops such as carrots, turnips, radishes and daikon can be eaten raw, and why not beets?
Rhubarb!!!???
I had planned to make me a blackberry mousse this weekend, but I save that til Midsummer. However rhubarb would definitely be perfect for such a dessert,
It's in season here now. The rhubarb is just getting good, really. It has been a slow Spring here.
I suppose you will give me the easiest recipe to get you started. Soon there will be a harvest of new beets, I want to try this.
I don't DIY roasted beets -- but there is a restaurant in Cleveland OH which makes them.