Recipes

[Poodlepet2]

....that you can eat the skin-or the greens!

We bought some gorgeous beets and carrots at the local Farmers Market. I thought I would roast them.

I was going to blanch the beets to remove the skin....if fresh beets weren't so messy, I would prepare them more frequently.

I began to wonder if there is a reason not to: it can be a little tough in "older" beets, but if you can get rid of root hairs, there is no reason not to eat the skin.

The greens are a wonder of nutrition, raw or cooked ( less cooking is better). Sadly, I left my beets on the counter and the toots are fine, but the leaves wilted....

Poodlepet2

[proudlyfromNJ]

I wrap mine in foil and roast in the oven with the skin. When they are done the skin wipes off easily with a paper towel. I have boiled the greens and eaten.

[software]

I've had to re-program my brain to use every part of a fruit or vegetable since purchasing my Vitamix.     I try to remove larger seeds but always leave the skin.

@Poodlepet2

[golding76]

PoodlePet2, beet greens are near the top of my favorite greens.  When I was a young girl, I remember my Greek-born maternal grandmother coming down from Pennsylvania to visit us in Maryland, and she would pick the greens from all the dandelions around our house.  Not understanding that these greens were a delicacy for her and being a snot-nosed kid, I was mortified.

Now I see that dandelion greens have joined the arugula ranks.  

[Poodlepet2]

@sfnative, II always knew mango skin is toxic, but when I bought my first jicama I am glad I read about it first: the skin is used in pesticides!

I'm glad I researched the beet issue-just to know!

Poodlepet2

[makena]

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@golding76 wrote:

PoodlePet2, beet greens are near the top of my favorite greens.  When I was a young girl, I remember my Greek-born maternal grandmother coming down from Pennsylvania to visit us in Maryland, and she would pick the greens from all the dandelions around our house.  Not understanding that these greens were a delicacy for her and being a snot-nosed kid, I was mortified.

Now I see that dandelion greens have joined the arugula ranks.  

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The older Italian woman in our neighborhood used to go out and pick the dandelion greens and cook and then would make a dish out of them using oil and vinegar and would add a few other things.  She was like a Grandma to us.  She was over our house more than she was at her own.  Her hubby grew all his own veggies and some fruits.  Gosh I miss them (sigh). 

[momtochloe]

@Poodlepet2 my dad had a terrible time with his iron levels and the doctor recommended beets but more importantly the beet greens . . . my mom would sautee them with onion and throw a scrambled egg or two in there (our family does the same thing with green beans).  I still make it to this day, delicious!

[ValuSkr]

I don't care for beets, though I know they're a wonder-food.  I didn't know they had skins.  I'll usually peel carrots and sometimes peel potatoes, but wouldn't have thought to do so with beets.

[Zhills]

I'll take mine pickled.  I make my own and use them as a side to a sandwich for lunch or an afternon snack.

[vabreeze]

Beets, especially the pickled ones, add so much to the taste of salad. Pickled beets are very tasty with cooked greens and green beans, too.

Reading here about dandelion greens, I once was given some dandelion wine that a colleague's mom from TN had made.  I have no idea how it was made but it surely was delicious!