Beet Hummus

My garden is overflowing with beets right now and I have been looking for new delicious ways to use them. I found this on the Simply Recipes website. It not only tastes great now, it freezes well and can be enjoyed all winter.  How about red beet hummus and green pesto as dips for the Christmas holiday?

Ingredients

1/2 pound beets
2 Tablespoons tahini
5 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 large clove garlic, chopped
1 Tablespoon ground cumin
1 Tablespoon lemon zest
Freshly ground pepper

Instructions

Scrub the beets and cut off tops and root. Roast the beets by placing them in a covered dish with 1/4 inch water. Bake at 375 for about an hour or until beets pierce easily with fork. Alternatively, beets can be boiled for about 1/2 hour. Allow beets to cool and peel.
Cut beets into a coarse chop/
Place all ingredients into a food processor and pulse until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.
Chill and store in refrigerator or freeze.
Serve with pita chips or sliced cucumber and celery.
Also great on a crostini with goat cheese and chopped mint.

Recipe source:  Simply Recipes.

Roast Beet Crostini

Roasted beets and goat cheese are one of those amazing food combinations. This appetizer combines both along with the beet tops and stems.

Ingredients

1 bunch of beets with leaves attached (enough to yield about 3/4 cup chopped beets)
16  1/2-inch sliced baguette
2 Tablespoons olive oil
6 cloves of garlic
1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 ounces creamy goat cheese
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Trim greens and stems from beets. Place beets in baking dish, cover with foil and bake until easy to pierce with a fork - about 45 minutes to an hour, depending on the size of the beets. Uncover and allow to cool.
Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Arrange baguette slices in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Bake, turning over once, until toasted but not browned, about 14 minutes total.
Thinly slice beet stems and finely chop leaves. Keep leaves and stems separate.
Heat 1 Tablespoon oil in skillet. Add stems and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3 minutes. Add remaining Tablespoon of oil and garlic and cook for 15 seconds. Add greens, vinegar and water and cook, stirring occasionally, until greens are tender and liquid is gone, about 5 minutes.
Stir in salt and remove from heat.
Peel cooked beets and cut into 1-inch pieces. Place 3/4 cup beets, goat cheese and pepper into a food processor and pulse until smooth. Reserve any remaining beets for a future use.  Spread about 2 teaspoons of beet-goat cheese mixture on each baguette slice and top with sauted greens.

Russian Beet Salad

A friend of ours who grew up in Russia would often make this salad with fresh beets. My husband loves it and now I make it every year with fresh beets from our garden.

Ingredients

1 pound fresh red beets
2 - 3 garlic cloves
1/4 - 1/2 cup walnuts
1/4 cup mayonnaisew
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Boil beets in water until they can be pierced easily with a fork. Cool and then peel them.
Grate the beets on a coarse grater. In food processor, combine garlic and walnuts. Pulse until finely chopped. Mix grated beets with walnut mixture in small bowl. Add mayonnaise to desired consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Pickled Beets

It's that time of year again when the garden is full of beets that are just the right size to turn into pickles.
This is our favorite recipe for pickled beets.

Ingredients

1 gallon small to  medium sized beets
3 1/2 cups cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon pickling salt
2 cups sugar

Instructions

Cook beets in boiling water until tender. Dip into cool water; peel off skins.  Cut into large pieces
and place in canning jars.
In saucepan, combine vinegar, pickling salt and sugar. Bring to a boil.
Pour hot syrup over the beets and fill to cover the beets, leaving 1/2 inch headspace at top of each jar.
Seal with lids and process in boiling water bath for 15 minutes.
Check to ensure each jar has sealed.