Happy Boy Produce

SEASON: Year-round

 

FOOD AS MEDICINE: Beet roots were originally used medicinally {and weren't really eaten until French chefs started discovering their tasty properties in the 1800's} and therefore offer a ton of nutritional benefits, nourishing vitamins and minerals.

Beets

Ours Can't Be Beat

Posted by JB

Who's got the Beet? If you are looking for brightly-colored, fresh varieties perfect for salads, roasts, juicing and even home canning projects, Happy Boy does. We regularly bring three different varieties to market, and beets are one of the few crops at Happy Boy that we grow almost year-round. So, if you are looking for something local and delicious to serve in savory dishes during the cold, wet winter as well as a perfect addition to sweet summer salads, this is a great crop to check out.

The three types of beets you'll be coming across at our stands are the traditional red beet, the golden beet and the Chioggia Beet. Each gem colored variety has very subtle differences in taste and texture, but their color is really what makes each so unique. The golden beets are a little sweeter and milder in their beet-y flavor, and brighten up dishes with glowing honey-orange slices. The classic red beets have a rich flavor, and a dark red color that caramelize beautifully. The Chioggas are possibly the most interesting beets visually - the white and red striped root {which create a bullseye when sliced into rounds} are perfect candy-cane-colored additions to usually drab root roasts. Use these, or the golden beets, when you don't want to turn other lighter ingredients {like goat cheese crumbles or roasted turnips} a slightly pink shade.

In order to ensure freshness, we sell beets with their leafy green tops. Many customers ask us to remove these tops at market, but they have actually been eaten for centuries longer than the beet root. A bonus meal in themselves, they are salty and mildly sweet when sautéed, similar to Swiss chard.

Storage

If storing beets longer than a day or two, remove the tops before putting them into the fridge. Store the beets in your crisper, in a separate container {since they can still stain things a little when raw}. Keep the beet greens in a breathable plastic bag, also in the refrigerator.

Nutrition

Beets contain a rich supply of beta-carotene, which helps detoxify the bloodstream and facilitate speedy tissue repair, as well as amino acids and betaine, which are vitamin-like substances that aid brain functions and potentially act as an anti-depressant. Beet tops are an excellent source of calcium, iron, magnesium, sodium and chlorophyll. Together, the beet root and greens are potent blood cleansers.

Recipes & Pairings

    0 Total Recipes

Try pairing the whole beet for a beet-astic meal, or throwing just the sauteed greens into pasta with our cippolini onions and fresh mint. Or, if tops just aren't your thing, try combing the purple, golden and chiogga beets with our baby arugula and fresh parsley, goat cheese and toasted walnuts to make an incredible beet salad. Additionally, red beets make an amazing borscht when paired with our sweet baby carrots, and all of the varieties are great when roasted alone, or with our other winter roots.