What's In Season: Beets

I am lucky enough to enjoy my local farmer's markets all year long. LA basically has a farmer's market every day of the week and my favorites are the Santa Monica Farmer's Market and the Hollywood Farmer's Market.  It is my weekly ritual to go first thing in the morning and stroll all the vendors admiring the gorgeous produce.  To be honest I don't get all my groceries from the farmer's market but I try and get a portion of it at the market so I can support all the amazing local farmer's. 

Since I love the farmer's market so much I thought I would start a little series here: a what's in season series. Every couple of weeks I will post "what's in season" and follow it up with some recipes. So to kick off this little series, I am starting with beets! I know, I know - beets?! But beets are an underrated vegetable that people often don't know how to cook. They are also healthy and pretty affordable at the market or grocery store. 

The best way to cook beets that I have found is to roast them. I like to rinse them under water then wrap them tightly in tin foil and roast at 425°F for about 40 to 50 minutes (depending on the size of your beet). Remove from the oven, remove tin foil,  let cool slightly then carefully rinse them under cool water while rubbing off the skin. Roasting the beets brings out their sweetness and masks the earthy-ness that is sometimes present in raw beets. If you do want to eat them raw, they are great in smoothies and juices or sliced really thinly in a salad. 

SO the next time you see beets, grab them and make one of the below recipes: 

Beetroot Hummus

  • 3 roasted red beets
  • 1 cup cooked chickpeas
  • 2 Tbs. lemon juice
  • 2 tsp. lemon zest
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 Tbs. tahini
  • salt and pepper

Garnish with olive oil, toasted pine nuts and flaky sea salt

Pulse the beets in the bowl of a food processor until finely shredded. Add the chickpeas, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, tahini and a large pinch of salt and pepper. Pulse until creamy, adding water until desired consistency is reached.

Top beetroot hummus with a drizzle of olive oil, toasted pine nuts and a pinch of flaky sea salt.

Serve with pita and crudité

Makes about 2 cups of hummus

Orange and Beet Salad with Feta and Pistachios

 

For the salad

  • 4 roasted beets, cut into bite-sized wedges
  • 1 navel orange, peel removed and segmented  
  • 2 blood oranges, peel removed and thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup feta cheese
  • 2 Tbs. pistachios, toasted and roughly chopped

For the dressing:

  • 1 shallot, finely diced
  • ¼ cup champagne or white wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp. honey
  • 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • salt and pepper

Add the beets, orange wedges and orange slices to a large salad bowl or platter.

In a small bowl combine the shallot and vinegar. Allow the mixture to sit for 1 to 2 minutes, while the shallot is pickled by the vinegar. Add the honey, mustard, olive oil and a big pinch of salt and pepper.

Drizzle dressing over beet and orange mixture. Sprinkle with feta cheese and pistachios and taste for salt and pepper.

Serves 2 to 4

 

 

 

 

What's in Season, SaladAmanda Fredericksonbeets, what's in season, seasonal cooking, hummus, saladComment