How do you Beet it?

“It's a little known fact that if you placed all the t-shirts end to end that had been thrown away with beetroot stains on them, they would stretch 3.87 times round the Earth. Beetroot juice is known in scientific circles as a biological stain, it resists all manner of detergents and woe betide any husband who gets it on his shirt collar as it can be mistaken for lipstick by a suspicious wife!” – Magic Veg

Beetroot Risotto, recipe from Shaun

Before I came to Australia, I was only familiar with canned beetroot. I didn't want to eat too much of it because I thought all that red colouring can't be good for me. Many years later, after encountering fresh beetroot, I discovered that the red colouring is all natural. More recently, thanks to my partner, Quikong (I told you he is a gourmand in denial!), I learnt how to cook beetroot leaves. It's great when you can use all the parts of a vegetable.

These days, I just can't resist vibrant pink-stained beetroot dishes. When I saw Shaun's Beetroot Risotto, I just had to have some. It was delicious (thanks, Shaun!). The subtle spices in the pickled beetroot wonderfully compliments the flavour of the beetroot. I followed Shaun's instructions exactly (except for substituting balsamic vinegar for the red wine vinegar). I also crumbled some goat's cheese feta on the risotto just before serving. Beetroot has a strong flavour so it pairs well with this cheese. I didn't have any leftover, otherwise I would have made some beetroot arancini.

Quick Tips for eating/cooking Beetroot:

Raw: After peeling, beetroot can simply be grated, tossed with a little orange juice and eaten raw.

Boiled/Steamed: Beetroot can be boiled or steamed for 20-60 minutes depending on its size. It is cooked when you can pierce it easily with a skewer. Allow to cool and then the skins will just slip off.

Baked/Roasted: Wash, trim the stalks and wrap each beetroot separately in foil. Place in a moderate oven for about 40 minutes, then serve. Either eat the skins or take them off. Baked beetroot has a rich earthy flavour, although it is a little drier than steamed beetroot.

Beetroot leaves: Small, young beetroot leaves can be used in salads. Older leaves are slightly bitter, but they can be shredded and cooked like spinach. I prefer to steam the leaves (& young stems) and make a Greek Style warm salad (batzaria):

Still hungry for more beet information? Alanna from A Veggie Venture has compiled various ways of cooking beetroot and a very impressive long list of recipes. You can check it out here.

A few other recipes that I have tried or would like to try....

Haalo of Cook (Almost) Anything shared this delicious old-fashioned Beetroot Chutney from Iain Hewitson's book on the Tolarno. It’s great with roast meats. I’ve had it in a roast beef roll.

Tired of the usual pesto? Alanna Kellogg of a Veggie Adventure shared this delicious Beetroot Pesto recipe which she got from the manager from Wolf Pine Farm.

At your next party, how about serving up some deep red Beetroot Hummus? This recipe shared by Jasmine of Confessions of a Cardamom Addict is easy yet stunning.

With warmer days arriving in the southern hemisphere, this Cold Polish Beetroot Soup from Dagmar of A Cat in the Kitchen is just the thing to whip up.

How about beetroot desserts? YES!!! Beetroot is very versatile indeed:

- Dark Chocolate Beetroot Brownies by Béa of La Tartine Gourmand. Irresistible!

- Vegan Chocolate & Beetroot Cake with Spiced Beetroot Glaze. A very festive looking cake by Kathryn of Limes and Lycopene. One would never guess that it has tofu in it (don't tell Quikong!).

So how do you like to have your beetroot?