Root vegetables are beginning to show their colors, judging by the variety of beets and carrots piled at the Evanston Farmers Market this past Saturday. That’s where we found Mark Dolnick tending to the mountains of beets — red, white and the striped-inside Chioggia — from Green Acres Farm in North Judson, Ind.
He also offered a few tips on how to choose and enjoy them (so check out this video). Dolnick suggests storing them in a cool dry place and if you put them in the refrigerator, do so in an unsealed bag. By the way, Dolnick points out, “When you buy them with the green tops, it’s like you’re getting two vegetables for the price of one.” That is, cook up the greens as one dish, the roots as another.
Expect them to be around through the summer and into the fall, he says, so pull out a favorite recipe or do as Good Eating columnist JeanMarie Brownson suggested recently in her “Dinner at Home” piece on grilling vegetables. Her advice for successful veggie grilling including peeled beets: “Keep ’em moist; season highly. Since grills offer dry heat, a light coating of oil seals in moisture when grilling cut vegetables. Alternatively, I trap moisture by wrapping firm veggies such as potatoes, beets, turnips and carrots in foil. Season sliced oiled vegetables with rubs, herbs and salt before grilling so the flavors penetrate. Likewise, season vegetables cooked in foil packets.”
Or cook them in water then peel and use as many restaurants do: In a balsamic-drizzled salad with crumbled goat cheese and toasted pecans. Or try this recipe for a potato-and-beet hash served with poached eggs.
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And to locate a farmers market near you, go to chicagotribune.com/farmersmarkets