“I’ve been waiting for the beets!  I make a great chocolate-beet cake. Its really yummy and it gets people to eat more vegetables.  The girls in the office love this easy way to eat beets!”

Chocolate Beet Cake

1 large beet peeled and grated like a carrot.
1 chocolate cake mix  made according to package instructions.
1 can chocolate frosting

Peel and grate one large, raw beet.  Make the cake mix according to package instructions and stir in the grated beet.

Bake slightly longer than the package instructions.  Test for doneness about five minutes longer.

Cool and frost the cake.

Thanks to CSA members Aisling & Siobhan for sharing a recipe and photo of how they enjoyed the veggies from CSA week #16!

 (For 4 people)
 
You need:
 
    * 1.5 cups Carnaroli or Arborio rice
    * 4 cups vegetable stock
    * 8 3/4 oz red cooked beets, peeled and diced
    * 1 large shallot (150 g) + 1 extra shallot
    * 1.5 oz parmesan grated and shaved
    * 9 Tbsp dry white wine
    * 1 Tbsp tarragon, chopped
    * 1 Tbsp basil, chopped
    * 2 Tbsp olive oil
    * 3 Tbsp butter
    * About 3 Tbsp pine nuts, dry-roasted
    * Salt and pepper
 
Steps:
 
    * Cook the beets, peel and dice them.
    * Chop the first shallot.
    * Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil with 1 Tbsp butter in a sauté pan. Add the shallot and cook for a few min before adding the diced beets.
      Cook for 5 mins or so on medium to low heat. Remove from heat.
    * Heat the vegetable stock and keep warm.
    * Chop the tarragon and basil.
    * Grate 2/3 of the parmesan. Shave the rest and keep on the side.
    * Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil with 1 Tbsp butter in a pot and add the second chopped shallot. Cook for 2 to 3 min before adding the rice to coat for 1 min.
    * Then add the white wine and cook until it is absorbed.
    * Add 1 ladleful of warm broth and wait until it is absorbed to add another one. Repeat until you have 1 ladleful left.
    * Add the beets and mix gently. Check your rice and add more broth accordingly.
    * Stop the heat, add the grated parmesan, the herbs and the rest of the butter. Cover and let rest for 2 min.
    * Serve with shaved parmesan, fresh basil leaves and dry-roasted pine nuts.

 
Here Siobhan and friends show off some beautiful carrot soup!
 

Serves 6, from the Lunds and Byerly’s fall 2008 edition of “Real Food” (their free magazine)

“How considerate of the beet to provide two vegetables in one: edible leaves and a bulbous root. Balsamic vinegar gets reduced by half to become a ruby syrup to glaze the beets. Vibrant bits of mint tie all the flavors together. This dish can be made in advance and gently reheated or served at room temperature.”

4 large beets, about 2 pounds, with beet tops attached
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 medium clove garlic
1 small bunch mint

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Remove the stems and leafy greens from the beets and set them aside. Peel beets* and wrap in a very large piece of foil. Crimp edges tightly together to form a package. Place on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake 1.5 hours. When tender, a knife will penetrate beets easily. Open the package carefully and cut beets in half lengthwise and then across into 1/4-inch wide slices. Put in a large bowl and keep warm.

Meanwhile, put vinegar in a small saucepan. Add 1 clove garlic, pushed through a press. Bring to a boil and cook 10 minutes until reduced to 3 tablespoons.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cut stems and leaves into 1-inch pieces and add to boiling water. Cook 5 minutes until tender. Drain well, squeezing extra water from beets. Add hot greens to warm beets and toss with olive oil. Add reduced vinegar and 1/3 cup coarsely chopped mint. Add salt and pepper to taste.

*from Chris: I haven’t made this recipe, but I wonder why one couldn’t boil the beets instead and skip the peeling & the 1.5 hours of baking in the homemade foil container? To boil the beets, cut stems off about an inch above the root, wash off the dirt, and throw it whole (with skin) into the boiling water. Boil until tender (fork goes in easy). Then, drain water and once the beets are cool enough to touch, you can easily rub the skins off. I cut them in a bowl to contain the staining juice: first cut in half, then spear with a fork and use the tines of the fork as a cutting guide to cut into slices. Then continue recipe as above…

roast the carrots, onions, beets, zucchini, kohlrabi, cabbage, and the optional turnips and eggplant with rosemary, salt, pepper and olive oil. Chop the stuff, mix it with the oil and spices so everything is coated, then put on a baking sheet in the oven and bake and/or broil until done.