Requested: Beets

In addition to cabbage, requesters have been asking for things to do with beets. I'm afraid I won't be as much help with this one - I don't much like beets, and neither does my husband, so we neither grow them nor buy them. When a bunch showed up in our fall CSA box last year, we gave them to our neighbors!

But, all that being said...I do have some basic ideas you might want to pursue, perhaps via Google. Summer beets can be eaten raw, for starters. Peel and slice. In fact, at Mag Pie in Greenfield a couple weeks ago, there were sliced Chioggia beets included in a bowl of raw veggies served to each table. The flavor was mild, a bit like a salad turnip. You can also grate raw beets and use them in salad. In fact, I bet some raw grated beets would work pretty well as an addition to any of the slaws listed here.

Beets can be pickled, either lightly for near-term eating or more heavily for storage.

You can roast beets, either alone or with other root vegetables. Try olive oil, garlic, and dill for seasoning. For that matter, try par-cooking them (boiling or steaming) and then grilling with the same seasonings.

And of course there's always borscht.

Good luck!