French Fridays with Dorie – Haiku
You can stop screaming
What trauma did beets cause you?
You carry on so.
Say? Don’t you like beets?
Have you tried them recently?
Um, can I have yours?
Better than the plague
So keep some perspective please
Shush you. Eat your beets.
Lime and Honey Beet Salad
Beets seem to be a thing that a small minority of folks fear and loathe. Why is that? This sweetest of vegetables shouldn’t really be held in the same category as other notable polarizing foods such as sardines or anchovies.But to a small vocal group, they are. Maybe not a vote split down the middle like Republicans vs.Democrats but they are the Libertarians in this debate.
When you find a beet avoider it can be amusing to them react. I once suggested to a co-worker that a simple beet salad might be a nice way to start a meal she was asking advice about.
“Oh, no! No beets in MY house! Uh-uh, no way”
You’d think I were suggesting she serve plague to her guests.Undoubtedly some childhood trauma set her aversion early on for it to be this immutable as an adult.
“When I was four I was nearly crushed by a railroad car full of beets. Could never look at one square in the eye again. No sirree.”
Further complicating things, the same person who screams bloody murder at the thought of eating a beet root will still adore its above-the-ground cousin, chard.Evidently whatever trauma has caused the aversion must have occurred after the beets had had their tops removed.
The lesson here is that I don’t really need to understand everyone and everything around me. No judgement here. I’ll just have your beets if you aren’t going to eat them.
As for this particular recipe, I reduced the amount of honey called for in half. Beets are sweet enough on their own and these certainly didn’t need any additional sweetening. This reduction wasn’t enough as I still found myself tasting “sweet” and not “beet”. If that makes sense. Oh, and I subbed in a small pinch of tarragon as there was no dill or oregano on hand. Tarragon makes every cold salad taste better. Or is that might just me who thinks that?.
In the end I preferred Dorie’s Chunky Beet and Icy Red Onion Salad from last summer. Both beat the plague.
A recipe for French Friday’s with Dorie. Adapted from Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan, someone with whom I would like to someday go on a double-date with.
This is what you will need:
- 2 teaspoons cider vinegar
- juice of 1 small lime and zest of 1/2 lime
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons minced chives
- 1 teaspoon minced tarragon
- salt and pepper
- 1 pound beets.
This is how you make it:
- Cook the beets by tripping the roots from the greens, rinsing and drying, and wrap them all up in aluminum foil.
- Put on the rack of a 400 degree oven for 45-60 minutes.
- Remove from oven, carefully open foil to let cool.
- When no longer to hot to handle, the skins will pull right off.
- Store refrigerated in an airtight container until ready to use.
- When you are ready to enjoy your salad, remove beets and cut then into small wedges or chunks.
- Whisk together the vinegar, zest, lime juice, honey, olive oil, chives and tarragon.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Pour over the beets.
- The salad is best if you return to the refrigerator or ate last 2 hours or overnight.
I used to “hate” beets.
Gram served them straight from the can.
Dorie changed my mind.
Dorie can do that.
She has some kind of power
to illuminate.
Oh, Trevor likes beets.
They used to be punishment.
Can escapte them now.
Sorry, Trevor. There is something about their texture that just makes me cringe – it’s the same issue I have with shredded coconut. I don’t mind the flavor so much (I like beet greens and beet chips…). I will slide mine on to your plate…
you are an adult
you now have your own free will.
so you avoid beets.
My mother says no
I will always be child
May stamp my big foot
Fair Cher with sore foot.
My coconut beet salad
weeps from lonliness.
Beautiful green plate.
Displays those beets nicely.
Come on people. Eat!
Right? Nice green and red.
I will allow aversion.
It leaves more for me.
Very pretty plate – the dark green really shows off the beautiful color of your Honey and Lime Beet Salad – I must say that the beets that I used were not the sweetest, so a bit more honey in the dressing for us – by the way, tarragon sounds like a nice addition.
Trevor,
I think you would definitely enjoy reading author Geraldine Brooks’ book entitled “Year of Wonders”.
I have certainly heard of that book! I just bought it for my Kindle.
Or what about the Tom Robbins book, “Jitterbug Perfume.” Beets are part of the secret to immortality or in Tom Robbins case more likely immorality. So, eat your beets.
Diane! I so forgot about that book! That book was pure genius if you ask me! Eat your beets! I need to read that one again too. You gals are going to really run up my kindle bill this month!
Beets are delicious
Nothing to be frightened of
Big deal, just eat them!
I have had trauma
Crushed by a bushel of beets
I got over it
Your presentation
Is predictably flawless
Nice touch, tarragon
Tarragon is fine.
I know you can do better.
Trixification.
Even though your beets look great on that beautiful green plate and I’m sure they were
delicious, I crack up reading all these comments. Too funny. Considering the amount
of posts this week, I think there are many people who hate beets. Just wait for next week’s
seaweed sablés. Only kidding, they are really good.
No Dorista beets?
No adventurous spirits.
Very sad foodies.
If there are any extras beets you’re unable to eat, send them my way. I just love them. I always have a jar of easy to pickle beets in the fridge. A quick plate of spinach, sliced beets, orange slices and feta used to make a great lunch. …until I saw your salad.
Orgasmic Maureen!
When will you write about me?
Food writer Fridays…
You have the best comments, by far, this week. I’ve been out of school too long to come up with beet haiku, and I’m also slightly curious about Maureen!!
Sarah my food friend.
Orgasms in the kitchen?
Not sanitary.
Agree on all counts! I love beets; they didn’t need the honey; and I like the other beet salad better. I really like your addition of tarragon! Very nice, Trevor!
LOL! We made both at our house and liked them both, although I preferred this lime honey one over the the onion one, but probably because I’m not a huge fan of the raw onions… :)Glad to be seeing posts from you again!
Ah, I see you reduced the amount of honey, wish that I had or used sugar, or left it out. Personally I like beets pickled. They taste like dirt you know, LOL. Have a great weekend.
I am really on the fence when it comes to beets, so I have not ventured into that realm except to try beet sugar, which I like.
As far as beets needing more sugar-I would say no.
Enjoy the weekend and try to enjoy another serving of beet salad!
Some say no to beets
Some say they’re good from a can
I’ll take mine with lime.
Who said canned are best?
Some think Elvis is alive.
The public is nuts.
I prefer the fresh beet to canned ones :p It is healthy and delicious. I love the subtle earthy smell and it really refreshing with the lime and honey vinaigrette 🙂
My favorite thing about beets is that, when I eat a lot of them late at night, I get to spend the next morning pretending I’m suffering from internal bleeding.
Got red scary stool?
often its just the beets, not
internal bleeding.
love Beet Salad, definitely saving this recipe!
looks so easy to prepare and delicious…mouthwatering!
I dislike beets. Immensely. But loving your photo! Beets are wonderful in chocolate cake (try it)! I’m fascinated and immensely jealous of your majolica plate though (is it vintage)? I would even eat beets to get one. I took Haiku in grade school, along with Karate, but haven’t practiced since, so I’m a little out of shape.
Trevor, Such a funny post!! I enjoyed reading your comment section almost as much! I’m sitting here laughing as I write this! Your beets look so pretty on that green plate! I’m in the ‘love beets’ camp…these were so very good! Have a great day!!
Kathy? Where is it?
We are about haiku here.
Maybe next time. Please?
Beets, always a treat.
No fear or loathing for me.
These roots I do love.
Whats not to love here?
Fear is for larger matters.
Not a simple root.
Your beets look beautiful, Trevor. Good idea to cut down on the honey, so you can really taste the beets and I also like the idea of using tarragon in this salad. I will try that next time. I also need to make the Chunky Beet Salad because I missed that one last summer. Loved your haiku! 🙂
My personal beet trauma involves a precocious exposure to James Michener’s “Centennial” and its overly-long encomia to sugar beet farming and processing.
Next to that, being nearly crushed by a railroad car full of beets probably pales. So, I shall demur.
-bg
Canned beets are what did us all in. I see a can of beets, and my heart hurts for them. This recipe is stellar and one that I will be trying soon.
Lovely beet salad Trevor! I’ve never sweetened a beet salad, so that concept is a bit novel but you never know, it might be really good?! I do like the fresh tarragon addition or substitution in your salad, you can’t go wrong with tarragon in a salad as you mentioned. I think the combination of beets, swiss chard and crumbled fresh goat cheese is one of my favorite rustic style salads, maybe a small amount of white truffle honey on the side? Hope you’re having a great week;-)
I’m with you on the tarragon, it’s one of my favorite herbs. I actually used chives in this salad instead of dill and it came out great. I liked this one, but I’m in the beet lovers camp so any new recipe to add into my repertoire is welcome.
I agree, I liked the salad with red onions better too. Beets are sweet enough without honey. The other salad was much more balanced and interesting, at least to my taste.