Underdog vegetable deserves a second chance

Perhaps more than a handful of gardeners will recoil in horror when the word is mentioned, so let us just get it right out of the way: beets. The school-aged child in you might shrink back at the sound of the word, recalling a pastelike, burgundy food, multiple refusals to partake of even one more bite and declarations that you’d rather starve then eat beets.

But why not give the humble beet another chance? Like so many other garden veggies, homegrown beets taste nothing like their grocery-store relatives. Perhaps if you just don’t think you can work up the courage to sample the lowly root crop once more, you might consider selecting an heirloom white, golden or bicolored variety to help you overcome your reservations.

Beets are a cool-season crop and grow well in the cool temperatures of spring and fall. July is the perfect time to think about preparing a bed in the garden for a fall sowing of sweet roots and greens. Botanically known as Beta vulgaris, beets are equally easy to grow in massive numbers as a row crop or tucked in the tight corners of small raised beds. The plants are grown both for their sweet, bulbous taproots and the young, green tops, which are typically used fresh, steamed or sauteed.

Beets do well in most deep, well-drained, friable soils. Fine, workable soil with ample organic matter tends to produce the most handsomely shaped specimens. Hard, crusty soil tends to cause beet roots to be tough and ill-formed. If planted in spring, beets perform best in sandy soil that offers adequate drainage and rapid springtime warming; in autumn, a heavier soil is fine, augmenting water retention.

On a commercial level, some varieties of beets are used to produce beet sugar, which is used in a range of products, from beverages and candy to cattle feed. The naturally occurring sugar in varieties known as “sugar beets” is extracted through a somewhat complicated diffusion and dehydration process. A natural alternative to table sugar (sucrose) and corn sugar (dextrose) in the United States, the sugar is produced predominantly in Minnesota and North Dakota, although California, Colorado, Idaho, Michigan, Montana, Nebraska, Ohio, Oregon, Texas and Wyoming have significant acres in production, as well.

At home, beets are tasty served fresh, or preserved by pickling. Beet roots have decent enough amounts of vitamins and minerals, while beet greens are a rich, excellent source of vitamin A and calcium. Roasting the vegetable is said to lock in nutrients and intensify natural sweetness. Wrap beets in foil, place them in a baking pan, and bake in a 350- to 400-degree oven until tender – usually between 1 and 2 hours, depending on the size of the beet. Unwrap and let stand until they’re just cool enough to handle, then peel them while still warm.

As autumn approaches, try this delicious, nutritious Russian borsht, a hardy soup that puts to good use the sweet beets from your garden.

Russian borsht

Makes 12 servings.

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

1 pound lamb stew meat

1 medium yellow onion

1 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes, diced

2 pounds beets, peeled and diced; reserve beet greens

1 1/4 pound green cabbage, chopped

3 1/2 quarts beef stock

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

2 bay leaves

1/2 lemon, juiced

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Heat oil in soup pan. Add garlic and lamb. Brown lamb. Add onion and saut? until tender and transparent. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer and cook covered for 2 hours. Chop beet greens and add to the soup, simmering for 15 minutes. Serve hot. Delicious if garnished with a dollop of sour cream and fresh dill.