Scott Baldelli Gardening & Design

The more I talk to others about beets, the more apparent it is that you either LOVE them or you hate them. I happen to be a lover of beets. And I’m lucky that my wife also loves beets – and loves to cook with them!

I direct sowed the seeds for these beets in a raised bed in mid-May. I just pulled them out of the garden yesterday. You can see that they’re popping up out of the soil – this is how you know they’re ready to be harvested.

To store:If you want to store the beets for later, chop off the greens and put the unwashed beets in the fridge in an open bag. You don’t want to trap moisture inside – let the beets breathe. They will last in the refrigerator for up to a few weeks. The greens can also be saved, but they wilt quickly. I suggest eating them as soon as possible.

To eat: There are countless recipes that you can make with beets and beet greens. Last night, we enjoyed two of my favorites – mixed green salad with beets and a beet greens quiche. All I can say is… I’m so excited for the leftovers!

Here are the recipes, written by my wife, Courtney:

Making the salad: Chop off the greens and remove the stems. Scrub the beets. Trim off the “tails.”

Place beets in a pot and cover with water. Add about 2 TB white vinegar (I read that this helps keep the beets from bleeding). Boil for about 45 minutes, or until the beets are fork-tender.

Remove beets from heat, place in a strainer, and run under very cold water. You can now easily peel the skins off.

Once the beets are cool enough to handle, place them on a cutting board and cut into 1/2-inch pieces. (You can make the pieces as large or as small as you’d like. I prefer medium-sized chunks. Some people like slices. I don’t judge. Do what you like.)

Put some mixed greens that have been rinsed and dried in a salad bowl. Cover with beets, walnuts, and goat cheese. Drizzle with your favorite balsamic vinegar. (We use raspberry balsamic vinegar from Olive Oil Etcetera. We also LOVE Fiore in Maine. Don’t live in Doylestown or Maine? Don’t worry – they both ship!) That’s it. Nothing more. Nothing less. It’s perfectly simple.

Making the quiche: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Thoroughly rinse the greens. Dry well (use a salad spinner if you have one). Roughly chop the greens.

In a skillet, heat 2 TB of olive oil. Add 1/2 an onion (any kind of onion will work – I used white, because that’s what we had in the house) and 2 cloves of garlic, finely sliced or minced.

Saute over medium heat for about 5-10 minutes. Add beet greens, salt, and pepper. Continue to cook until greens are wilted through. Remove from heat.

In a bowl, whisk 4 eggs and 1 1/2 cups of 1/2 and 1/2. (You can also use whole milk.) Add salt and pepper.

Put pie crust in the bottom of a pie plate. (Feel free to make your own pie crust. Ree Drummond has a great recipe here. I just didn’t have time to make it from scratch – it was a Monday night, after all!) Put the sauteed greens, onion, and garlic in the bottom of the pie crust.

Cover with a layer of shredded cheese. You can use any kind of cheese. I used what I had in the house, which was a mixture of Swiss, sharp cheddar, and mozzarella. Any cheese will work. All cheese is good. I really love cheese. Pour egg mixture on top. Add another layer of shredded cheese.

Bake at 400 degrees for 30-35 minutes. You’ll know when it’s done when it’s lightly browned on top. Let sit for at least 15 minutes before cutting – the quiche needs time to rest.

Look at this beauty! Delicious!

If you have any questions about beets, feel free to contact us. If you try out the recipes, let us know what you think!