Our hearts skipped a beet.

Everyone knows by now that we have somewhat of a love affair with fresh-from-the-garden vegetables.  But just how far does that love go?

For a long, long time, we drew the line at beets.  A few sessions in psychoanalysis revealed this absence of affection to be the result of too many pre-adolescent run-ins with beets of the pickled variety forced onto our plates at family picnics.
But when we started the Heirloom Vegetable Garden at Beekman 1802 three years ago, we decided to give beets a second chance.  Time (and adult taste buds) heals all wounds.   There is room in our hearts for beets after all.

There are three varieties of beets in our garden currently with a second planting planned for fall

CHIOGGIA BEET – An Italian Heirloom, with alternating pink and white concentric circles that add a wonderful crunch and color to a summer salad

CYLINDRA BEET– Introduced in the 1880’s, resembles a carrot in shape.

DETROIT DARK RED BEET – Introduced into the United States from Europe in 1892. This beet was developed from the popular European Early Blood. It is mildew resistant. The flavor is excellent.

After preparing beets in many ways, we’ve decided that roasting them is the best method to highlight their flavor.  It may take a long time, but it’s definitely worthwhile.

Roast Beet, Fennel, and Goat Cheese Salad
Serves 4

Ingredients
6 beets (3 red, 3 yellow), top removed
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon salt plus more to taste
1/3 cup pecans
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 kirby cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced
1 bulb fennel, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
1 bunch arugula, trimmed, well-washed and dried
4 to 6 ounces fresh coat cheese, crumbled

Instructions
1 Preheat the oven to 425. Rinse the beets and wrap in foil (if they are of a similar size, you can wrap 2 together). Place on a baking sheet and bake until the beets yield to gentle pressure, about 1 hour. When cool enough to handle, unwrap and slip the skins off (use a paper towel so you don’t stain your hands). Cut the beets in half and thinly slice.
2 Meanwhile, in a small skillet combine the sugar, coriander, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Add the pecans and cook over low heat, tossing occasionally until the sugar has melted and is lightly caramelized, about 5 minutes. Immediately transfer to a plate.
3 In a large bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, mustard, and salt to taste.  Add the beets, cucumbers, fennel, arugula, and pecans and toss to combine. Scatter the goat cheese over the top and serve.

Each week this summer we are working with our friend Sandy Gluck to develop recipes fresh from the garden to the table.