april superfood is beets!
Hey Garden Friends! Brook Coffee here with this month's SUPERFOOD: Thyme to Turnip the Beet....or at least COOK the Beet!
Here's my favorite recipe and it uses the entire plant -- root to tip! No food waste AND you get all of the nutrients of the greens, which have even more vitamins than the sweet root! Inspired by Jesse Cool of Flea Street Cafe, though she doesn't roast her beets -- she boils and peels them. I like to eat the skin on the roasted roots, actually!
First things first, grab two bunches of beets. I cut off the roots from the leaves and keep separated. In a medium bowl, I chop up the beet root into one inch pieces, toss with olive oil and place on a roasting pan in a 400 degree oven. Roast for 30 minutes or until tender when poked with a knife. While the roots are roasting, wash and chop the greens. Sauté over medium heat with a little olive oil, 1 chopped onion and a few cloves of garlic until greens are wilted and onions are translucent. Once finished, add in the roasted roots from the oven, sprinkle with salt and pepper and add a big splash of balsamic vinegar. You can serve this as is for a yummy and nutritious side dish, but it is also DELICIOUS as a main entree tossed with cooked penne pasta and big soft pieces of goat cheese. Happy Cooking!
p.s. Mrs. Hovland says she doesn't like beets, but maybe if enough of us try this recipe, she will have the courage to try something new, too! :)
