Humble root crops take easily to deluxe gourmet treatment
The summer sun has blessed our veggie gardens with warmth unknown for decades. Root crops are being dug earlier than usual, and cooks can revel in the availability of beets and carrots – featured today in some really cool recipes. The best part is the possibility of interchanging the veggies (in most cases) for double the culinary benefits. Enjoy!
To begin, consider that the secret of beet cookery lies in the preparation. Pre-roasting beets is a given. Don’t waste time trying to peel them – follow these simple instructions for success.
Roasted Beets
3 pounds beets (10-11 medium)
Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Wash and trim beets, leaving about ½-inch of stems attached. Wrap beets tightly in double layers of foil to make 3 packages and roast until tender, about 1 hour.
Remove from oven and cool till they may be handled. With rubber gloves, slip skins and stems off and cut each beet into about 6 wedges. They are now ready for use as is or in recipes, as follows.
Roasted Beets with Parsley
Prepared roasted beets, cut into your choice of bite-size
¼ cup packed fresh chopped parsley, stems removed
2 tablespoons butter
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 375F. Place prepared beets in a baking dish and cover with foil.
Bake until heated through and thoroughly tender – 20 minutes to a half-hour.
When beets are done, place in a warmed bowl and toss with parsley and butter until well coated. Salt and pepper to taste, serve.
Tip: For a little extra pizazz, add a tablespoon of fine-grated orange zest to toss with the parsley, or drizzle with a little Oriental Orange sauce. Great with rice!
Apicius of ancient Imperial Rome, one of culinary history’s earliest “chefs”, came up with this gem, worthy of the sweet young beets in the markets!
Beets with Leek
and Coriander
2 pounds fresh young beets, scrubbed, trimmed, thickly sliced
1 pound washed, trimmed leeks, thickly sliced just into the light green stalk
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander
2 ½ cups sweet white wine (Sauternes) OR dry white (Chablis or Pinot Grigio) sweetened with 1-2 tablespoons honey
Salt and pepper
Place beets with leeks and spices in a heavy bottomed pan; add wine or wine/honey mix; bring to boil, lower heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes or till beets are tender. Serve hot or cold. Excellent with grilled halibut and a simple green salad.
I’m not sure what Apicius would think of this, but I’ve found this recipe takes to carrots as well as beets! I’m sure he would approve, however, of our next offering.
Moroccan Carrot Salad
6 cups thinly sliced carrots
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. cayenne
2 Tbs. lemon juice
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 Tbs. chopped parsley
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
Simmer carrots in water to cover until just tender to bite, 5-7 minutes; drain.
Meanwhile, in a 1- to 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat, stir coriander and cumin until fragrant – less than a minute. Pour spices into a bowl and mix in cayenne, lemon juice, olive oil, parsley and minced garlic. Toss with carrots till well incorporated. If desired, moisten salad with a little more olive oil. Serve at room temperature.
Honey-Glazed Carrots
and Shallots w/Herbs
2 pounds carrots (10 medium), cut diagonally into 3/4-inch pieces
1 lb. small shallots (12) peeled and trimmed, keeping root end intact.
2 Tbsps. unsalted butter, cut into bits
3/4 tsp. salt
2 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup white wine
1/3 cup mild honey
2 tsps. chopped fresh dill or fennel fronds (optional)
2 tsps. chopped chives
1/4 tsp. black pepper
Spread carrots and shallots evenly in a 12-inch heavy skillet, dot with the butter and sprinkle with the salt. Whisk together the water, wine and honey and pour over vegetables. Cover tightly with a lid or foil and simmer over moderate heat until vegetables are tender when pierced with a paring knife – about 20 minutes. Transfer with slotted spoon to a serving bowl. Boil liquid over moderately high heat, uncovered, until syrupy and reduced to about 3 tablespoons (about 15 minutes). Return vegetables to skillet and gently fold and stir to coat with glaze. Return to bowl and sprinkle with choice of herbs (if using) and pepper.
Tip: If you don’t care for the dill/fennel approach, consider a light sprinkle of fine-grated toasted coconut and/or a few raisins for a touch of India!
Carrot Slaw
4 cups shredded green cabbage
1 cup EACH grated carrots and beets
1/2 cup thinly sliced, chopped red onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tb. each mustard and cumin seeds
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 1/2 tsp. cane sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine first four ingredients in a large bowl. Heat a small saucepan over medium heat; add oil and swirl to coat. Add mustard and cumin seeds and cook about 1 1/2 minute or until mustard seeds begin to pop. Remove from heat. Stir in garlic and let stand 2 minutes. Whisk in vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper. Pour vinegar mixture over veggie mixture, tossing to coat. Let stand 15 minutes at room temperature before serving.
When preparing any of today’s offerings, remember that you can switch from beets to carrots – and vice versa – without qualm – it’s all good. By the way, if you’re a parsnip fancier, experiment with them, remembering that they cook much more quickly than carrots. Bon appetit!
Valle Novak writes the Country Chef and Weekend Gardener columns for the Daily Bee. She can be reached at bcdailybee@bonnercountydailybee.com. or by phone at 208-265-4688 between the hours of 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
