Food Facts:

Beets and beet greens are very beneficial for our livers! The greens especially can help break down food by increasing the smooth flow of bile to aide digestion - so don’t throw them out! The beet (a root) itself is very high in iron and has been used as a blood tonic in many cultures. Eaten as a whole, the entire vegetable with root and leaves, it has a perfect contrast of sweet and bitter flavors. Beets are also a great remedy for constipation. 

I have a love / hate relationship with beets. I want to just love them… but alas, it is not in the cards for me. At least not yet! I’m not giving up, as you can see, and neither should you if you share my dilemma. There are so many wonderful qualities to beets, my favorite being their beauty. That’s why I want to love them so. Their color is unrivaled… deep aubergine to bright clementine orange! Their shape is sensual and fits just right into the palm of your hand. You can eat them raw or cooked, drink their juice, or even dye fabric with them! They also have numerous health benefits. The best way I like to eat them is with some of their greens or some other bitter leaf to offset their sweetness, herbs, and some fat-like oil, cheese or nuts to give it depth. Beets need to be balanced. At least for me. 

Here is a simple recipe that works for me and allows you to use whatever you may have on hand: 

Beet & Herb Salad:

a few roasted beets, sliced into rounds or wedges (roast with a tiny drizzle of olive oil and splash of water in a covered dish at 400˚ for about 30 minutes or until a knife slides though easily. After, you can take off their skins by just rubbing them away!)

a few leaves of beet greens, roughly chopped *

red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar

handful of fresh parsley, basil, chives, or even mint leaves, roughly chopped

freshly crumbled feta or goat cheese

olive oil or walnut oil 

freshly ground black pepper and sea salt

Set beets and beet greens in a small bowl, drizzle or splash a few dashes of vinegar on them and let sit for a few minutes. Toss and add herbs and cheese. Drizzle everything with oil and finish with pepper and salt to taste. Easy! 

*Eat your beet greens alone, in an omelet, with dumplings, on a sandwich, in a salad etc. They are delicious sauteed with a little olive oil and GARLIC. Lots of garlic. Maybe some chili flakes, if you’re in the mood. 

I’m a sucker for a stemmed fruit. The first winter stem & leaf grapefruits hit our neighborhood market this week and I couldn’t help myself, despite the cold and drizzle outside… the color and aroma of the red grapefruit is uplifting and refreshing, always. So I thought I’d whip up a little concoction that would lift my mood and offer some beautiful, bright hues for the eyes. I call it a Grapefruit Fizz. Super easy alternative to a soda or fruit juice. About 1/3 - ½ cup citrus juice total, with a dash of sugar. The rest is water! I would love to serve this with a little vodka or gin for a fun party cocktail, served in glass pitchers with lots of ice. 

Grapefruit Fizz

½ red grapefruit, squeezed for juice

½ lime, squeezed for juice

¼ tsp vanilla sugar* (or 1 sugar cube)

Mineral Water

Ice

*I used a really lovely vanilla sugar for this drink, as the warmth and richness of the vanilla bean tame the sourness of the citrus. It worked perfectly. 

Pour grapefruit juice in a large glass, adding lime juice when ready. Scrape in all the pulp too! Drop 1 sugar cube and muddle until dissolved, or use the vanilla sugar and stir until dissolved. Fill glass with ice and add mineral water to the top, and stir together. Garnish with grapefruit wedge. 

Makes 1 large glass - refillable with more mineral water as needed!