What’s Cooking  In Our Summer Kitchen?

Summer is in the air and the farmers market is open which means a delightful trip every Saturday morning to see what the local Amish farmers have brought to us for the week. This weeks delight was a bunch of beautifully purplish red beets with healthy bright greens on top. Delish!

How to Prepare Beets and Greens

Beets and greens are very easy to prepare if you know what you are doing. The first step is to remove the greens from the beets by cutting them about an inch above the beet. Then simply wash the beets and the greens thoroughly, scrubbing with your hand to remove any dirt. Ideally, you want the greens to be bright green and almost crisp, like the ones pictured here.

 

Cooking the Beets

Cooking the beets is rather simple. After washing them, put them in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and boil about 20 minutes or until tender to a fork. When done, you simply drain them and throw them in a bowl of ice to cool them down. Once cool you simply peel them over a trash can.

Once the beets are done, you can eat them just as they are, slice them and put them over salad, or toss them in a small amount of lemon juice. The sweetness of the beet with the tart flavor of the lemon gives it a taste similar to a pickled beet without the sugar content!

 

Cooking the Greens

The greens are delicious cooked as well and very simple. Simply slice them in strips approximately an inch wide once you have washed them. I like to sautee them in a small amount of coconut or avocado oil and some fresh garlic. It only takes 5-8 minutes for them to wilt and get tender.

 

Favorite Recipe

Here is one of my favorite recipes for the greens and beets.

In Conclusion

Both beets and beet greens can also be eaten raw and added to smoothies for other tasty treats. Summer is the best time to try new, garden fresh vegetables that are in season locally. That is when they are the freshest and have the most taste so you can really enjoy the beautiful flavors and health benefits of the produce. Get creative and enjoy!

 

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