“Those are the money beets”

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It seems that people either love or hate beets. Although I don’t go out of my way to avoid them, I rarely eat them. I’ve never tried to cook them, mostly for fear of turning my entire kitchen red. However, I was kind of excited when they made their way into my apartment via my CSA box. I immediately did the first thing I do when I don’t know what to do with an ingredient and want a simple recipe – see what Mark Bittman would do. When I saw a recipe for beet pancakes, I knew I had a winner (especially since I already had the ingredients – impressive given my empty kitchen). I used all the ingredients but just threw everything together without considering the amounts indicated. Of course, when I started experimenting, my husband insisted on participating, kind of like when writing this post…

Eric’s Lesson #1:  “First rule in roadside beet sales, put the most attractive beets on top. The ones that make you pull the car over and go “wow, I need this beet right now”. Those are the money beets.” – Dwight Schrute.

How do you not think of Dwight Schrute when it comes to beets? They were small but turned out to be very juicy and sweet.   Clearly irresistible among the late spring choices at your local CSA.  My only regret is that I did not find a use for the beet greens (assuming beet greens are the things I cut off the beets and not simply a confusing name for red tinted lettuce)

Eric’s Lesson #2:  When Lindsey says “take off your shirt, you’re going to get beet juice all over it” don’t listen to her. Did I get beet juice all over my shirt? Of course I did. Is being stubborn and overly confident more important than a ruined shirt? Of course it is.

After getting through the half of the first beet with hand grater, I quickly resolved to the food processor (1) because there is no greater joy than actually using one of our seldom used wedding gifts and (2) because I found it hard to avoid shredding my finger. It was really because of my shirt but don’t tell Lindsey. When it comes to beet pancakes it turns out the bigger is better (stop giggling Chad). Even more pronounced than potato pancakes, the larger size is the only way to get a crispy outside with a moist inside. A cannel (at least I tried) of sour cream (why we had unspoiled sour cream, I have no idea) made the beet cake a little more fancy and actually tasted great. Lindsey made a great suggestion for next time to use goat cheese (Why didn’t I think of that?). All in all, a surprisingly successful, quick use of our first CSA pickup of the year. Now, off to the drycleaner …

Recipe after the jump..

From The Minimalist, Mark Bittman

BEET ROSTI WITH ROSEMARY

2 pounds beets (3 very large or 4 to 6 medium)

2 teaspoons coarsely chopped fresh rosemary

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1/2 cup flour

2 tablespoons butter

Minced parsley or a few rosemary leaves for garnish.

1. Trim beets, and peel them as you would potatoes; grate them in food processor or by hand. Begin preheating 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat.

2. Toss grated beets in bowl with rosemary, salt, and pepper. Add about half the flour; toss well, add rest of flour, and toss again.

3. Put butter in skillet; heat until it begins to turn nut-brown. Scrape beet mixture into skillet, and press with spatula to form a round. With medium to medium-high heat — the pancake should gently sizzle — cook, shaking pan occasionally, until bottom of cake is nicely crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Slide cake onto a plate, top with another plate, invert the two plates, and return cake to pan. Keep cooking, adjusting heat if necessary, until other side is browned, another 10 minutes or so. Garnish, cut into wedges, and serve hot or at room temperature.

Yield: 4 servings.

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