Fx199 wrote:

> I have some fresh beets in the garden...what would be a good meal to plan
> around them? What kind of meats generally go good with them.
> I was just going to steam the beets, but am open for alternatives...

I. Roasting generally gives a deeper flavor than steaming. Cut off most of
the stems, leaving about a quarter-inch. Wash the beets well, then put a
light coat of olive oil. Roast at 400F until a knife encounters only slight
resistance. Here's Alton Brown's method, which isn't much more complicated:

Roasted Beets:
6 medium beets, cleaned with 1-inch stem remaining
2 large shallots, peeled
2 sprigs rosemary
2 teaspoons olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
In a large bowl toss all of the ingredients. Place into a foil pouch and
roast in the oven for 40 minutes.


Once roasted, you can pickle the beets if you like. This recipe was posted
here a while back:

Pickled Beets with Red Wine [Makes about 7 pints]
"These have none of the harshness of typical pickled beets. Even people who
usually scorn beets may like these."
6 lbs beets, with rootlets and 2 inches of tops
1 teaspoon whole cloves
Two 4-inch cinnamon sticks, broken
One 1-inch piece fresh ginger, sliced thin
3 cups sugar
2 cups red wine
3 cups red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon pickling salt

1. Scrub the beets. Put them into a large pot, and cover them with boiling
water. Return the water to a boil, and boil the beets 15 to 35 minutes,
depending on their size, until they are just tender.

2. Drain the beets, and cover them with cold water. When they are cool, trip
them and slip off their skins. If they are large, halve or quarter them--or,
if you prefer, slice all the beets into 1/4-inch-thick rounds.

3. Tie the cloves, cinnamon, and ginger in a spice bag or scrap of
cheesecloth. Put the spice bag, sugar, wine, vinegar, and salt into a
nonreactive pot. Bring the contents to a boil, stirring to dissolve the
sugar and salt. Simmer the syrup, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

4. While the syrup simmers, pack the beets into pint mason jars. If you've
sliced the beets, pack the slices loosely. [! E.] Pour the hot syrup over
the beets, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Close the jars with hot two-piece
caps.

5. Process the jars for 30 minutes in a boiling water bath. [Mind the
altitude adjustments-E.]

6. Store the cooled jars in a cool, dry, dark place for at least 3 weeks
before eating the beets.
[Note: I boiled the beets to tender stage and even after BWB for 40' at my
altitude, the slices still had nice texture, but I'd go maybe for a little
tiny bit less initial boiling next time-E]


Either roasted or pickled, beets go well with all manner of fish or fowl.
Beets and horseradish are a classic combination to accompany fish. I like to
put pickled beets into potato salad, which goes with pretty much anything
grilled.


II. You can cook the beet greens separately. For that matter, you can cook
the stems separately; I recently saw Mario Batali prepare this dish:

Beet Stalks with Prosciutto: Coste di Bietola con Prosciutto
Mario Batali.

2 bunches beet greens, beets reserved for another use
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon
2 ounces prosciutto di San Daniele, thinly sliced, then julienned
2 oranges zested, plus 1 orange juiced
Pinch cinnamon
1/2 red onion, sliced paper thin

Clean the beet greens, removing the leaves and setting them aside for
another use. Trim the stalks on the cut end to 6 inches long.
Bring 1 quart of water to a boil and set up an ice bath nearby. Cook the
stalks for 2 to 3 minutes in the boiling water until tender, then shock in
ice water. Once cooled, remove the stalks and pat dry. Cut the stalks into
1/4-inch julienne and set aside.

In a 12 to 14-inch saute pan, heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil over high
heat until almost smoking. Add the beet stalks, prosciutto, orange zest,
cinnamon, remaining olive oil and red onion and toss to coat, about 30
seconds. Splash with the orange juice and toss again. Season with salt and
pepper and divide among 4 plates. Serve immediately, with fish or grilled
meats.

The greens can be treated like chard or spinach.

Bob