Would a Beet of Any Color... ?

My children don't hold beets in particularly high regard. One might think that the beet offers many desirable characteristics from a child's standpoint: the unique, deep magenta color; the sweetness; the STAIN potential...

But alas. Not in my home.

And our gene pool (both my husband and I particularly enjoy beets) didn't seem to lend a hand in the matter.

So I wondered, what would these offspring of mine think of golden beets?

And you may be wondering why I would even bother trying.

Well, almost 2 years ago I started this cooking blog experiment, inspired largely by friends' incessant requests for my recipes and by our new membership with Farm Fresh to You. The influx of fruits and veggies I'd perhaps eaten, but often never cooked was great inspiration and challenge for me. Persimmons? Dino kale? Padron peppers? Rainbow chard? Our palates have grown, along with my creativity and the family's collective intake of dense nutrients.

I continue to support farmers in our area through bi-weekly deliveries from this CSA (community sponsored agriculture) program and by shopping at our city's biggest farmer's market. We enjoy eating seasonally and locally for our own health and for the health of our planet (demanding less fossil fuel for shipping produce from Central & South America, encouraging heritage strains of produce, and supporting farmers who respect their land and their workers). Think about finding a CSA in your area! The oranges, beets, and green beans above were from my Capay Valley CSA farmer friends!

But back to the golden beets... and those cherubic beings with beet derision.

I'm not into lying or hiding veggies in brownies (an injustice to both the dessert and the vegetable, in my opinion). However, I'm not necessarily forthcoming when discussing ingredients with suspicious consumers. I might find alternative titles for say, risotto ("creamy pasta-like dish," anyone?), or any other concoction they hold in great disregard. But this time, I was straight-up honest as I unwrapped layers of foil and parchment to check on the golden beet roasting progress.

"What are those?"

"Beets."

"No, they're NOT." (says our all-knowing 6 year old) "They're not red."

"Well, they're golden beets."

(with great disappointment and a hint of disdain) "Ohhh."

"I'm putting them in a salad with green beans, oranges, basil, and some other yummy things."

(pause)

"But they're beets."

I can't say that the kiddos enjoyed the golden beet component of this salad, but since they like the other ingredients, the meal proceeded with minimal disgruntlement and respectable beet intake. The adult population was a bit more enthusiastic about the colors and flavors. And I must underscore that my fingertips are not still distinctly magenta-stained hours after dinner. (And that's a good thing.)

The colors really are stunning, don't you think?

Here's to local, seasonal fare!

Golden Beet Salad

serves 6 as a side

3 medium golden beets

3 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 lb green beans

3 oranges

1 shallot, minced

salt & pepper to taste

1 small head of radicchio

4 oz chevre

8 basil leaves, thinly sliced

2 Tbsp toasted pine nuts

Trim root tips and stems off of beets. Reserve beet greens for another use. Place trimmed beets on foil lined with parchment. Drizzle with 1 Tbsp of olive oil and seal parchment, then foil shut. Roast at 425degF for 40min (or until tender when pricked with a knife tip). Remove from oven. Cool. Open packet and drizzle beet juices and oil into a small, empty jar. Slip or peel skins from beets, then chop into 1/2" cubes. Toast pine nuts in oven as it cools.

While beets roast, blanch green beans in boiling, salted water until crisp-tender. Quickly drain and run under cold water.

Over a bowl, section or slice 2 1/2 oranges and remove peel and pith. Set orange sections aside. Add fresh juices into the jar with beet oil. Squeeze remaining 1/2 orange's juice into the jar as well. Add salt and pepper to taste, beet oil and juices, minced shallot, as well as remaining 2 Tbsp of olive oil to the jar. Whisk or shake orange dressing vigorously in lidded jar to combine.

Slice radicchio thinly. Combine with cooled green beans, chopped beets, and orange sections. Sprinkle with basil, crumbled chevre, and pine nuts. Drizzle with orange dressing. Toss and serve.