Beets;
I don't know if you have noticed, but, there are beets everywhere, and beet recipes are suddenly all over the magazines and newspapers. In my youth, beets were for one purpose only: to make "borscht". Revolting, even in it's name...and, I seem to remember, "borscht"! Although, again, in my youth, I seem to remember my mother cooking up a beet soup with meat bones...onions were in it, and potatoes... must have been during our "hungry-years", because I remember that it was delicious! But, a cold "borscht"?...with a potato drowning in it, screaming to get out!... joins chicken soup in my book...BUT, beets?... I love beets; salads, warm "attachments" to main meals, even a cake! Yes, a cake!...all possible and very nice...extremely healthy... they have this in them ...and that...and really quite a lot of... ya: right.

Beets can be boiled, baked, (wrap them tightly in silver foil) they can join potatoes and onions on a bar-bq...they are great simmered slowly in olive oil; but the best way as far as I am concerned is to buy them "ready-for-use"! Here, they come cooked and peeled, hermetically sealed in plastic. One of the miracles of 'Life-in-Israel"... AND: I still get beet juice all over myself. And the kitchen looks as if I had a fight with a live chicken and the chicken lost!... And even though I wear gloves, and a huge butchers apron...I loose the fight with the beets! SO: up to you; as I said: they are very healthy and very good for you! AND, they do make a change, and have that wonderful color on the plate...

I made a warm beet salad the other day, which I sneaked under a salmon fillet; dice, or grate, two large cooked beets; into a pan they go, slowly to warm up in some olive oil with lemon juice; salt and lots of pepper, a bit of sugar, and some chopped onion go in; or just mix in some horseradish!...we think of horseradish as married to "gefielte fish"....Nah! Its very promiscuous...try it in beets! Cold, or hot, it really gives you a new outlook on life...Right!..salmon...get a pan very hot, five minutes will do... individual portions of salmon fillets go in; no need for oil in the pan, unless you are slim and firm and feel that you have the right to have some butter in there!...three minutes on one side, another three on the other, sure you can take four or even five!...you want the salmon still pink inside...well, I do!...place beets in the center of the plate, salmon on top, scatter chopped scallion all over... a boiled potato will make this a perfect main meal...salad, a cheese for dessert...lots of wine...

Beetroot mash?...do try it!...you can bake the beets this time, about a kilo, peeled and quartered, in a covered dish with olive oil sloshed all over them. About an hour should do it in a very hot oven...No?...you can bake them wrapped in foil, but that will take two hours!...OK: try just boiling them! Peel them and dump them into a processor with an onion, OR 2 cloves of garlic, some red wine vinegar, some olive oil, salt and pepper...into a serving dish they go; keep them warm... toast some poppy seeds or sesame seeds in a pan, and spread them over the beets; IF you hate seeds, because they get into your teeth, use walnuts crushed in the processor together with the beets...lovely with grilled chicken breast, fish, boiled beef...which is another dish I never understood people eating and enjoying... but there you are!

Beet salads are lovely; I gave you one, years ago! Column 21...everybody loves that one and its parve, and if you make a lot, it keeps for ever! But with fish, or on it's own, this one is different, and very nice. You use here baked beets, cooked, ready 'made'... choose whatever you find simple and easy to use...about a kilo?...half them, then slice into thick sticks; add 3 tablespoon of olive oil and 3 of balsamic vinegar, some Dijon mustard, salt and lots of pepper, mix-mix and crumble roquefort cheese all over it!...but, IF you really hate roquefort, or have used it before and need a change, use slices of goat cheese...absolutely perfect... IF you use one of the good 30% goat cheeses...

OK: beetroot cake?...come on! We did a carrot cake, (column 65), and its one of our 'bests'! So, why not beetroot? Give it a try; sift together 2 cups of self raising flour, with a half a teaspoon of bicarbonate soda a teaspoon of baking powder and a teaspoon of cinnamon; into the mixer goes ? cup of veg. oil, and a cup of sugar; beat this well for a few minutes; add 3 eggs, 150gr. grated raw beetroot, (do it in your processor, so only half of your kitchen will be covered by...ya-ya-ya!) juice of half a lemon, raisins, if you like them, and a mix of seeds...sunflower, pumpkin, whatever you fancy!...IF you do not...can be walnuts, pecans...or not!! Now slowly mix in the flour, flop it into a loaf pan, mine is rather large...27x9x8cms...Teflon coated, so just a little greasing is needed; bake for 50 minutes...test it after 45...and there you have it! A perfect cake, in-case-of-need...always in the fridge...ya right!

Send your questions to The Wacky Cook: email: POOP_1@netvision.net.il       Return to Spiro

Debbie Morgenstern is the author of "My Life in Israel" and other short stories.
http://www.trafford.com/robots/04-0655.html

European orders: daniel@morgenstern.fsnet.co.uk
US orders: mjonathanm@aol.com