s t e a d y . o r g

In his novel, Jitterbug Perfume, Tom Robins opens the book with high praise for the beet.

THE BEET IS THE MOST INTENSE of vegetables.

The radish, admittedly, is more feverish, but the fire of the radish is a cold fire, the fire of discontent not of passion. Tomatoes are lusty enough, yet there runs through tomatoes an undercurrent of frivolity. Beets are deadly serious.

I was always a bit afraid of beets when I was growing up.  Probably because they were pickled and cut into slices, served cold as a half assed garnish on a plate of otherwise delicious food at the local diner.  At least that’s how I remember beets.

My perspective changed a few years ago, when beets started arriving in droves in my CSA share.  I felt compelled to find a way to like them.  I didn’t want to simply dump them right into the compost.  That would be a waste and some kind of antithesis to the whole notion of the CSA.

So I started playing around with beets.  My favorite way to prepare them is to roast them. Beets have a lot of sugar (you’ll even find beet sugar listed as an ingredient on all kinds of things if you look) and so they are great for roasting because the sugar will caramelize.

You can prepare this recipe in a roasting pan, or in foil on the grill.  It is ridiculously easy but it produces a mighty tasty side dish that goes well with beef or pork in particular.

Roasted Beets

1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper 
3 medium-sized beets, peeled and quartered
1 tbsp. olive oil

If your beets still have the greens in tact, remove them and save them for another side – they are edible and they taste great.   Peel the beets and quarter them.  Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and toss to coat all sides of the beets.

For indoor, oven roasting, pre-heat the oven to 425 F.  Place the beets in a baking dish and roast uncovered for approximately 45 minutes.

On the grill, you have two options, you can place the beets in a foil wrap and roast on a hot grill for about 45 minutes, or you can place them directly on the grill and roast them at a lower temperature.  If you place them directly on the grill, you will need to attend to them frequently to prevent burning.

I was never a big fan of turkey burgers until I tried changing up the recipe.  My big complaint about turkey burgers has always been that they tend to be dry and they are a poor substitution for real hamburgers.  A few years ago, I stumbled upon a recipe in a Weight Watchers cookbook that called for adding vegetables to turkey burgers to keep them moist.  I was skeptical, but after making them according to the recipe I was pleasantly surprised.

I like to tweak recipes.  I often make minor variations to recipes that I find based upon what I actually have in the cupboards and fridge.  That’s how I came to this recipe.

Spicy Turkey Burgers

1 lb ground turkey breast
1 small zucchini or yellow summer squash (grated)
1 small jalapeno (seeded and diced)
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper (freshly ground)

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix with your hands (yes cooking involves getting dirty and yes your hands are a tool that you can and should use — just make sure they are clean).  Form the mixture into patties in a size of your choosing (6 – 8 oz are a good size).  Grill the patties on a hot grill until cooked through.  If desired, add a slice of your favorite cheese.

Serve on a roll with condiments of our choosing.  I like to server these with sautéed onions and one of my “special sauces.”

Special Sauce

1 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp horseradish
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Variations

I sometimes add 1 tbsp chili powder to this recipe for a slightly different kick.  I also sometimes dice onions instead of using squash.  For an “Italian” flavor, I use oregano and basil instead of cumin and jalapeno, and for an “Indian” flavor, I use curry powder.

Don’t be afraid to mix it up.  The key to this recipe is to add veggies to the meat to keep it moist and to be adventurous.

Enjoy.