7.16.2009

Have You Ever Seen Anything So Beautiful Yet So Disgusting?

Beets. We've been getting them from our farm and they've been sitting in the fridge for a while now, just waiting to be used in something.
These ones are gorgeous, with a bulls-eye on the inside, but I just can't think of something to make with them. I tried a piece raw, which tasted a bit like a radish but it left me with a sore throat sensation for an entire day! Weird...

I actually like pickled beets, but am not sure if these would taste as good as the kind you buy in the store. And I will not be adding hardboiled eggs to them...yuck!

I have a feeling that I'll be making pickled ones though, since the last time I made beets was 2 Thanksgivings ago when I baked them with other root vegetables. They weren't bad straight from the oven, but when reheated, they tasted like dirt to me.

Mr. Geek detests the beet, so I'm guessing I'll be the one "indulging" on these. You'd think my Eastern European roots would be salivating for borscht, but no thank you. Would you believe that my Polish grandma would eat cold borscht over vanilla ice cream? Now that's something that even a pregnant women could not stomach.

Post Lunch Update: I ended up just cutting them up, sprinkling them with water and a teaspoon of sugar, and microwaving them. I don't know why I always have to make things so complicated, finding fancy recipes worthy of organic produce from the farm cooperative.
When they were done, I sprinkled them with some of the pickle juice (vinegar) from my refrigerator pickles and then threw them onto a salad. They were good, and even Mr. Geek tried a tiny piece. His thoughts: "If I was forced at gunpoint to eat an entire bowl of these, it wouldn't be that bad." So I guess that's a thumbs up.


18 comments:

Lydia said...

I envy your fresh beets! Last week I chopped some fresh ones up into bite size pieces and then I tossed them in olive oil threw them on a baking sheet sprinkled with salt and black pepper, roasted them in the oven till they browned just a tiny bit...but they still were not soft so I micro-waved them for about three minutes in one min. increments....and they were FANTASTIC!!! spicy and delicious. But they just do have a dirt taste going on..I like em anyway!. cheers.

Ammie said...

:) I love beets, all colors, all kinds. I love them boiled and roasted, and pickled are good, too, as a garnish for something else. Your salad looks lovely, again!

mannequin said...

eeek. But you CAN use them for dye, right? You don't have to ingest the things sweetie!

Sage and Savvy said...

I'm w/Mr. Geek. I detest beets.

When I was little, I was at a party and it was served sliced up on a tray and I thought it was jello.

Hated it ever since.

Vanessa said...

Have you ever made beet soup? I have been wanting to try it!

JamericanSpice said...

I'm not sure I've ever had these soo...I'll just pretend they are that good until I've tasted them.

HODGEPODGESPV said...

the last time i tried them they tasted like mud! i told someone that and was told i hadn't gotten a good one! anyway, this beet lover told me she chops up all kinds of root veggie carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, turnups, rutabagas, beets, etc tosses them with a wee bit of oil and roasts them. eats them like snack food.

James and Summer said...

What a great idea! Thanks for sharing.
I've been wondering what to do with ours.... especially because there is no way that I am going to all the work of canning/pickeling them.
I also want to try roasting them ... mmmmmmmm.

Tiffany said...

If you have a fryer, they make fantastic chips. You can also just fry them in a deep cast iron pan with some vegetable oil. BTW, in case you haven't tried it, coconut oil is great for frying. (-:

Lis Garrett said...

Oh, I *love* fresh beets! All you need to do is boil then until just-soft, and then eat them plain. They're naturally sweet. Mmmmmm . . . makes me wish I had grown some in the garden this year.

Lady Di said...

The fam' decided to plant a garden this year and beets were planted as requested by my husband. I personally think beets taste like dirt. When it came time to "harvest" the beets I thought "oh great, what am I going to do with these?

However, my hubby's mom said all you have to do is boil them like potatoes (until soft enough to stick a fork easily into center), let cool slightly, peel skin, slice, add a little butter, salt & pepper, and eat. I tried them and they were not bad. My kids even ate them...amazing!

Shana said...

I don't know if you have a grill, but you can just wrap them in foil and roast them on the grill (or in the oven). I wrap them whole and then let them cool a little and dice them...drizzle with a a little balsamic...yum. That's what I did with the ones you gave me. We're at the beach. So far there are no bodies.

Nicole Feliciano said...

Gorgeous! We love beets and these are making me want to get into my car an raid your garden. Don't forget to link up to Friday Feasts:

http://momtrends.blogspot.com/2009/07/friday-feasts-couscous.html

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