Beet-it

I have an addiction.
To beets.

Raw, shredded, in a salad.
Juiced.
Jellied, not pref., but throw in some cranberries and I'm a sucker.
And for the past few years my beet of choice is baked with a tablespoon of lavender honey, cinnamon and maybe a few nuggets of crystallized ginger. YUM!

(My fellow beet addict friend Hanka told me today during our play date that she almost called & asked me to make her these, she's been craving them. Her eyes got big and her jaw dropped when I presented her a container.)

It has come to my attention that I am possibly not the only one supporting the election of beets into mainstream veggie culture. So, "Where's the beet?"

What are your favorite beet recipes? Where do you buy the best beets? Organic vs. regular? Does it matter?

Here are a few of my musings on the subject, good restaurant beet varietals:

-Tiny Boxwood's beet burger
This soft, loaf-y burger is served on a whole wheat (REAL whole wheat!) bun and is a bonanza for your intestines. SO EASY TO DIGEST! It can come with chips but if you stick to the micro-biotic statutes you should get a salad or another grain. (Hello french fries!) FYI, wear a bib! Or risk looking like you gave blood over lunch.

-Cafe Brazil's Beet & Goat cheese sandwich
Piled high with uber-green arugula (one time I swear they had mache though, which I would prefer) and scant goat cheese, this is a sandwich for 2. Ask for the focaccia, request that they NOT grill/toast it. The hardness of the bread cuts up the roof of my mouth and contrasts too much from the wet-ness of the yummy beets. Opt for the additional $2 salad and it's a meal. :)
I converted my friend Alex to a beet lover with this sandwich. Take a friend and see if you can bring them to the light.

-Reef's beet trio
AHHHHHHHH...if you bathed a beet in blessed water, clothed it in silk robes and then presented it to your king you would have Reef's beet trio appetizer. Just go try it. Don't attempt to make it at home. It's futile. They must marinate the beets for a defined amount of time because they are always perfectly edible. Not too hard or soft and the don't bleed a lot when you cut into them. Tell Kendall, the award-winning bartender, hello for me. She may have some of my freshly juiced ginger if you want her to make you a Nicole specialty drink! ;)

Not on the "restaurant" grid but certainly worth trying, possibly making a mainstay on your grocery list is Central Market's raw juice. Many people don't know this but one of beets most desirable characteristics is that they allow more oxygen to enter your blood stream.
This helps bring mental clarity, reduces swelling after workouts and gives you a natural high. Su-su-su-dio. O-O-O.

Check out this article, go to the last paragraph of the article for beet/blood talk: http://www.examiner.com/x-7160-Sacramento-Nutrition-Examiner~y2009m4d11-beet-juice-nitrates-slow-breathing-music-and-research-results

This article, and others I've read, recommend peeling the beets. SHINANIGANS! I have been juicing with beets, baking unpeeled beets for years and have never noticed a contraindication. If veggies and fruits were served skins-on or from the rind I estimate we would gather almost 2x as many nutrients from what we eat AND we would get to eat with our hands more often! That's another blog entry.

If you wanna have a "Beet-it" contest write me! I know a few chefs/food writers that would love to get their hands on some beets and show-off their egos.

Until then...party in the produce aisle.