Beetroot

[liuzhou]

Yesterday, for the first time in 18 years in China, I found beetroot in my local market. One of my favourite vegetables. So I bought a couple.

Back in England I would usually roast them. But my oven is on the blink, so that is out for now. I really want to do something special with them. I may never see them again!

What are your favourite non-roast beetroot ideas, please.

[pbear]

This is very simple, but always well received. Not sure what to recommend if you don't have and/or can't get balsamic vinegar, but hopefully you can think of something that will serve the same purpose.

Beets with Balsamic Glaze

2 tbsp butter (melted)

2 lb beets (lg bunch)

3 tbsp water

2 tbsp balsamic (or sherry) vinegar

2 tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

Peel beets and grate coarsely. Toss with butter; add water and simmer covered until barely tender, about 5 minutes. Remove cover; add vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper; saute until moisture almost (but not quite) evaporates, 5 to 10 minutes.

[huiray]

I'm inclined to do the simplest and cleanest thing with them and to savor them for themselves...simply boil them in salted water, slip off the skins, slice them up and eat as-is, maybe with a drizzle of the best balsamic vinegar one can get; slowly, each bite to be concentrated on, the simple taste of the beets, to remember what it was - till the next time.

[liuzhou]

This is very simple, but always well received. Not sure what to recommend if you don't have and/or can't get balsamic vinegar, but hopefully you can think of something that will serve the same purpose.

That sounds excellent, thanks. Balsamic is not a problem. I have some.

[liuzhou]

What would you serve them with?

[Shalmanese]

I'd steam them rather than boil them unless you were making a soup. No sense in losing all that flavor into the water.

[Panaderia Canadiense]

Lightly steamed and then drizzled with dill-olive oil-red wine vinegar, has to be one of my faves for beets. It's so sad that they're scarce where you are - here they practically give 'em away.

[ChrisTaylor]

Shave them and use them in a salad. Or use it in pork meatballs (really).

If you have access to a smoker or can ghetto rig a smoker (wok + al foil + lid + etc trickery) you could smoke them. That's always nice.

[Mjx]

Yesterday evening I was served a stir-fry of match-stick root vegetables (beetroot, parsnip, carrot) and venison, and although I'm not a huge fan of beetroot, this was excellent.