RE-VISIT BEETS

Remember when you were a kid and your mom put these nasty purple circles on your plate and told you to eat them "they're good for you"?  Much like many other vegetables from our childhood, almost everything came already cooked or marinated in a can or jar.  Remember how tasty asparagus used to be...those slimy light green wormy like things that were also "good for you"?

Well, now you've grown up.  Things that you were forced to eat as a child are still around, but now there are options.  Broccoli, peas and carrots, asparagus, spinach, lima beans, string beans, butter beans, and the list goes on.  All of these things taste like a new revolution in food when they are prepared properly, and you should take the time to find new things to eat that you used to hate.

That's where BEETS come in.  I have slipped them into meals where people had no idea that they were eating them, (low lighting helps) especially the gold ones since most people have never heard of them.  When people can't dissect what they're eating and attribute a childhood memory to what they perceive it will taste like, they've been pleasantly surprised.

Believe it or not, beets do not always come pickled.  You can buy them pinkish red, golden, or  purple.  You can boil, steam, roast, or even cut them up raw for a salad, and remember to use them in soups, juices or, if you're memory differs than mine, eat them pickled.  The greens are delicious as well and all of them are good for you...lots of vitamins (high in folate, which is good for cell reproduction, big source of vitamin C, also A, B1, B2 and B6, calcium, magnesium, copper, phosphorus, sodium and a great source of iron.  There are so many health benefits to beets that you'll just have to Google them to see.  I made some last night using my preferred method of wrapping individually in aluminum foil and roasting in a 400 degree oven for 35-40 minutes.  Don't overcook them as they will lose their amazing health benefits.  I cut mine up and had them with a homegrown tomato, sea salt, freshly ground pepper and balsamic vinegar.  So good in fact, I think I'll have them again tonight.  Make sure you clean them well as they can be a little sandy.  It's not necessary to peel them, just give a good scrub and eat them skin on.