Beets...just can't be beat!

Pear and Goat Cheese Beet Salad

Balsamic Vinegar Beet Greens

You could say I am a bit obsessed with beets. Okay—maybe more like a lot, but not without good reason! Beets have a sweet, earthy flavor and a great crunchy texture. They’ve also got a vibrant deep magenta purple hue* that makes them all the more appetizing. Beets are also packed with an abundance of vitamins and minerals, with health benefits ranging from liver detox, lower blood pressure, and possibly even boosting mental health. That aside—you can’t go wrong with a $3 bunch of beets at the farmers market!

*The beets I have in mind here are red beets; beets actually come in whole range of colors and flavors—some that come to mind include golden and Chioggia (striped) beets. 

Farmers Market Gems--Beets and Goat Cheese

So, you might be thinking: “Actually, with $3 I could have bought 3 bunches of kale from the supermarket and made a big homemade batch of kale chips.” Or something like that. But in making kale chips, you only use the leaves, forgoing the stalk. With beets, almost nothing goes to waste. Both the beet roots and the beet greens (the leafy part) are readily usable. What did I do with them?
I first sautéed the beet roots lightly with rosemary and parmesan. After eyeing the large jar of ground Saigon cinnamon in our spice cabinet, I threw some in as well to fill out the earthy sweetness flavor profile of the beets. I then tossed them into a salad with tangy Greek goat cheese (think: oregano, onion, and garlic undertones), a freshly diced Anjou pear, and pecans. To round out all the flavors, I topped it off with a bit of bourbon-infused cajeta, or goat milk caramel. With the beet greens, I also sautéed them, completing the dish with a generous drizzle of tangy aged balsamic vinegar, soft avocado slices, and a soft-boiled egg leftover from breakfast (my mom has an uncanny ability at making them—try it yourself!). Both were a feast for the eyes and the stomach. Got a bunch of beets on hand? Try out the recipes below!   

 Pear and Goat Cheese Salad--serves 4-6

Ingredients:

• 4-5 medium-large red beet roots, washed and peeled
• 1 Tb. cooking oil (sesame is a personal favorite)
• 2 Tb. Parmesan cheese
• 1-2 Tb. chopped rosemary (fresh is preferred, but dried works too)
• 1 tsp. salt
• 3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 2-3 Tb. goat cheese
• 1 Anjou pear, washed
• 1/4 cup raw pecan halves (or another nut)
• 1/4 cup mixed berries (optional; fresh or frozen)
• 1-2 Tb. bourbon-infused cajeta (goat milk caramel--optional, but 1 Tb. honey might be nice)

 Directions:

1.  Working with one beet at a time, cut lengthwise down the middle. Set the cut side face down on the board, and continue slicing lengthwise for 1/2'' semi-circle slices. Stack the slices and turn them sideways and slice them into 3/4'' wide 'matchsticks.' 
2. In a large skillet, add the oil and rosemary and heat to medium-high. 
3. Add the beets, followed by the cinnamon, salt, and Parmesan. 
4. Sauté for 15-20 minutes. Check for doneness--the beets should still be crunchy but not bitter or overly earthy. Add salt to taste.
5. Once done, turn off heat and transfer beets to plate.
6.  Dice the Anjou pear into 3/4-1'' cubes. Crumble the goat cheese with a fork, much like the way you might fluff rice. 
7. Add the diced pear over the beets. Then add the goat cheese, pecan halves, and mixed berries. 
8. Lastly, drizzle on the cajeta.
9. Serve immediately and enjoy!

 Balsamic Vinegar Beet Greens--serves 4-6

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of beet greens, washed
• 3 cloves garlic--peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1 Tb. cooking oil 
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2-3 Tb. aged balsamic vinegar
• Half of a medium avocado, sliced lengthwise
• 1 soft-boiled egg, peeled (optional)

Directions:

1.  Chop the beet greens, both the stalk and leaves, into 1.5'' long pieces. 
2. Add garlic and oil to a large skillet and heat the pan to medium high heat.
3. Add the beet greens, followed by salt (about 1/2 tsp. or more) and pepper. Sauté for about 10-15 minutes; do not overcook--the stalks should still be a bit crisp. 
4. Transfer to a plate and top with avocado slices; drizzle on the balsamic vinegar.
5. Place the soft-boiled egg on top, then take a knife and cut it lengthwise; this saves you from handling a mess of runny egg yolk. It'll be right where it belongs, nested on the bed of beet greens.  
6. Serve immediately and enjoy!