Raw Red Beets; Cooked? Baked?

gtargirl, I wonder if you fancy making a salad with it and if you do, then you might like what I had tried before. Ingredients * 3 medium beets * 4 cups mixed salad greens * 1 onion, sliced into thin rings * 1 apple - peeled, cored and thinly sliced * 1/2 avocado - peeled, pitted and sliced * 1/2 cup toasted chopped walnuts * 3/4 cup apple cider * 2/3 cup cider vinegar * 1/2 cup vegetable oil * 1 teaspoon salt * 1 teaspoon ground black pepper * 1 teaspoon prepared mustard * 1/4 teaspoon celery seed Directions 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Wash beets, and place in a baking dish with 1/4 cup water. Cover and bake for 1 hour or until tender. Remove from oven and set aside to cool. 2. Whisk together the apple cider, vinegar, oil, salt, pepper, mustard and celery seed. 3. Peel and slice the beets, combine with the vinaigrette and refrigerate at least half an hour. 4. Divide the greens among four salad plates. Drain beets, and reserve dressing. Decoratively arrange overlapping layers of beet, onion, apple, and avocado on the greens. Drizzle with reserved dressing. Sprinkle on the nuts, and serve at once. I hope you would like it. Bon Appetit!

And black walnuts too! Been there, done that! I think beets are best eaten pickled. Yum! I have never had them baked. Voila? They are good for us but alittle strange to prepare. I like them pickled and with some very interesting spices. I usually just buy them canned and eat them right out of the can.

I have not had them in ages. I loved the tops, better than spinach, if you are growing your own. My grandmother pickled them. I like them cooked with a little butter. I did not like them at all growing up, but wanted my kids to (they still do not) and would serve them with mayonnaise. Cooked, first. My first mother in law made Harvard Beets, which is kind of sweet and sour, and thickened with cornstarch. I wonder if I would like them raw? Hmmmm.

DOnt like raw ones but love pickled ones

This discussion brings back wonderful memories of my childhood. My mama and aunt always had a huge garden together and one of the main staples in that garden. After picking those wonderful little red gems they would always pickle them and can them. I love pickled beets! I don't too much care for them fresh though. I have tried a few recipes but they never tasted right to me. Give em to me pickled any day of the week!

You can pickle and can them for later. If you like beets out of a can from the grocery store you will like home canned beets even more. The supposedly have a better taste and are more crisp then the ones you buy.

Boiled, sliced, served with vinaigrette. I've only done beets once...

Pickled is the only way I really like beets. It seems that the vinegar removes some of the "earthy" taste. There's a recipe for "Harvard Beets" at this URL. http://www.oldetimecooking.com/Recipes/harvard_beets.htm We used to prepare them this way at the restaurant where I worked, although I don't remember using the cornstarch. The juice they were served in was thin.

I suppose if you are going to have cooked beets, Harvard style might be nice. Cook them whole and after they are done dice them up. Mix with corn starch, vinegar and perhaps some sugar. I am not sure of the proportions, but they are thick saucy purple colour. I haven't had them for a long time though. But that may be one way to do them up.