Glorious Beets: Returning a Platter “Motto!”
Beets have a sweet, earthy taste. If you bake or roast them in their skins, you can enjoy the best flavor. I grew up with my mom canning and pickling beets, but she’d also boil them, take the skins off, thinly slice and fry in butter with salt and pepper. Pure deliciousness.
How to boil beets
My husband brought the beets in fresh from the garden so we had to scrub and trim them first (like you would a potato). But boiling beets is an easy process.
1. Add 1 teaspoon salt to 2 to 3 quarts water in a medium size pot and bring to a boil over high heat.
2. Add the beets and bring back to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until tender, for about 1 hour or until tender. You want to be able to pierce the beet easily with a fork.
3. Drain and cool. Peel the beets with a parrying knife.
4. Cut or slice the beets for whatever recipe you are using.
The other night at this dinner party, I came up with a new, fresh beet salad, after my husband pulled the largest beet out of the ground!
Summer Orange Beet Salad
1 cup cooked, peeled, sliced beets 1/4 ” thick
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
2 Tbsp thinly sliced green onion
1/4 cup feta cheese
Sea Salt
Lay beets on a serving platter.
Pour the orange juice over the beets and sprinkle with green onion and feta cheese. Salt for flavor.
My kids are still not too fond of beets. But that’s okay. I think a taste for beets is something you acquire with age.
More beet suggestions
Cook beets only until they just lose their rawness, then combine them with meat, fish, grains, fruits, nuts, celeriac, fennel, or bitter greens. Once tender, beets can be sliced or diced to use in salads, risottos, and vegetable side dishes.
Platter motto
A couple nights later, I was asked to bring a salad to another dinner party, so I brought the same salad … but served it on this tray.
The story behind the silver tray has to do with my “returning a platter” motto:
Never give a dish/pan/platter back empty (if someone brings you a food, etc.) to its owner!
My friend Jeannie had loaned us this Mexican Pewter platter awhile back (served lemon bars!) and so I was just now returning it. Love the bull – Jeannie is a Texan girl and bought this platter about 10 years ago to remind her of her Texan roots.
Back to the beets …
I’d really like to try baking beets! We have barbequed them in the past, and this method you have to pre-bake the beets in the microwave first.
Do you have a favorite way of cooking with beets? And what do you think about my platter motto?
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I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
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Sandy, When you took this recipe of beets to the dinner party were they a big hit? I am taking a salad next week and thinking I might add a platter of these on the side. Not everyone likes beets, so wondering if they were ‘licked up’ or ignored. :) (If I had been invited, I would have ate them!)
Sounds like you are having a nice summer. Love keeping track of you thru your blog. LOL
Delish, like the addition of the orange. Clarice
Beets are soooooo good for you!!!
I grew up eating pickled beets. I like them this way, but have recently been putting them into our breakfast smoothies. Yep, you heard right! :) Along with kefir, fresh and frozen fruits and juices, I add a raw beet. It’s the only way my kids will eat them. :) Plus it makes the smoothie a pretty pink.
I like your salad recipe. I will have to try that soon. And I’m very interested in trying a Beet Slaw! I’ve seen so many enticing recipes online.
Fantastic platter motto! Maybe that’s why it always takes me so long to return one! :-D
I grew up with pickled beets! However, I have to admit, I never make or serve them.
Made your black bean salsa today – can’t wait to try it tonight!
I’m also looking for all foodies to answer some questions on my blog today!
I take olive oil with fresh garlic and sea salt and let it sit for the day. After the beets are roasted in my Demarle Mold, I drizzle the infused oil over them! So yummy~
This year I discovered that I *like* beets. But I only like them roasted…too many bad memories of pickled beets.
Roasted up and served with some balsamic and chevre is my go to recipe.
I love beets. I usually just boil them and chop them for salads. I toss them with olive oil, vinegar and seasoning (salt, pepper and garlic powder). Sometimes I just slice them and eat them plain.
I saw on a website a recipe for “beet burgers”…hmmmm, not sure about that one.
Your mom sounds so much like mine, as she used beets in all the same ways. Reading your description about frying them in butter brings back memories and makes my mouth water. I also like the intensified earthiness that roasting them with olive oil, cracked pepper and kosher salt brings. I like to dice them up to add to a salad of fresh greens and goat cheese, too. We pulled our first beets out of the garden last evening – they’re on the menu for the weekend. And…I think your platter motto is a great one!
My mom taught me the same lesson, to never return a dish empty. I usually return it with some food item but I have also returned a dish with a book or flowers or some other thing I think the owner would enjoy.
Love that — flowers!
I am a beet fan! Love them!
In Australia they put “beet root” (which as far as I know is the same thing as our beets) on their hamburgers! Along with fried eggs :) (It’s actually surprisingly yummy!)
Oh, wow. That sounds intriguing! Will have to try that :)
I roasted fresh beets for the first time (with olive oil, salt, and pepper), and they were tastier than I expected. However, your salad looks a LOT better than plain beets!!
Roasting – yum!