If you are a glass-half-full kind of person, our beet harvest was great. If you are a glass-half-empty kind of person, then it pretty much sucked.
What happened was that each beet seed actually contains as many as eight little beet plants waiting to happen. We didn’t really understand that, didn’t thin them enough and ended up with fantastic, lush beet greens, but nothing at all in the root department.
Observe the only three actual beetROOTS we managed to harvest
Tiny, right?
If that doesn’t give you an idea, how about this comparison with our largest beetroot, and a golden beet from Restoration Farm (our CSA).
David and Goliath
But, the three little beetlets were very tasty…me, Pedro and Myrna each got a bite and what we got, we liked.
However, let’s go to the issue of the LARGE Golden Beets. We got a nice bunch from the farm and while I love my other recipes: with beet greens and orange, or with goat cheese, I wanted something new and easy. The beauty of beets is that you can roast them ahead (preferably in the cool of the evening) and make the dish a couple of days later. This was light yet satisfying and quite effortless. Pretty too!
Sauteed Golden Beets with Olive Oil, Garlic, and Parsley (inspired by Vegetables by James Peterson)
2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs finely chopped parsley
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Slice the beets into rounds, between ¼ – and ½ -inch thick. Heat olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat until loose and fragrant. Add garlic. When garlic begins to sizzle, slide in the beets and stir gently to cover. Cook for about five minutes, just to heat beets through. Sprinkle the parsley, salt and pepper over, cook for one more minute and serve.
*Beets are easy to roast. Preheat oven to 425°. Wrap unpeeled beets (with about an inch of stem) individually loosely in foil and roast for about an hour, until a fork goes through foil and beet easily. Allow to cool and then peel.
Hot, Cheap & Easy 
But you learned so much, right? And I happen to love beet greens so think it was fabulous.
You are absolutely right! The luxury of learning with your garden without the risk of starving from your mistakes is a blessing I treasure….
Have never seen golden beets before – they look and sound amazing! Beet-iful in fact!
heehee! Yes, they are lovely. They taste pretty much like purple beets, perhaps a bit more subtle, but can be used the same way. Thanks for the visit!!
Very easy and delicious!
This looks really good. Love that golden color on the plate!!!
Golden beets are very photogenic…the camera loves them….Thanks for the visit!
And I love them too Natalie :). I’d be flattered if you link this recipe to http://quickasianrecipes.com/2012/07/11/piquant-potluck-and-printrunner-giveaway/
Cheers!
You can’t beet half full! That’s a great shame, but you made up for it with the lovely recipe and beets from the farm. I’d like to try them cooked that way 😉
The greens were also fantastic, so it was no small compensation!