Beets: The Secret Ingredient and Standout Star
Beets are incredible. Not only are they nutrition powerhouses (they are rich in manganese, potassium, and iron), they are also incredibly versatile. Beets taste a little like dirt, but in the best way possible: sweet, mellow, and earthy like the dampness of garden after a thunderstorm. That earthy sweetness is delicious paired with sharper flavors like lemon or goat cheese.
Beets are delicious served raw, shredded into salads or sliced thinly with a sprinkle of chile and lemon. Roasted and pair well with sharp flavors like goat cheese, pecans, and balsamic vinegar. Or, try beets tossed with barley and feta in a grain salad, or with onions and horseradish cream in an elegantly composed dinner salad. Beets are also hearty enough to withstand pickling, and the tangy vinegar and sweetness complement their earth undernotes.
Lastly, beets and their smoky sweetness are the secret ingredients in some fabulous desserts. They are stunning when roasted and blended into chocolate cake and brownie mix, and they can even lend a gorgeous red hue to naturally-died red velvet cake!
About the Chef
Stephanie Goldfarb is a Chicago-based chef and national food television personality specializing in seasonal, globally-inspired cuisine. Recognized as the winner of Food Network’s America’s Best Cook competition, and a celebrity chef on Kitchen Inferno and NBC’s Food Fighters, Goldfarb delivers unique and relatable culinary experiences to discriminating and casual diners alike. As the owner of the successful Seven Species Supper Club & Catering, she enjoys the challenge of building brand new menus each month that inspire both repeat clients and newcomers, and seeks opportunities to utilize new ingredients, techniques, and approaches in accessible ways.