Beat the Heat with Beets

Beet Salad 2 Ways (Each Salad Serves 4)

With garden-fresh, young tender beets, carrots and potatoes available in the summer, these two salads are a great way to either incorporate them into meals or serve as a light meal, especially when they can be prepared in the cool of the evening the day before serving. If being transported to camp, do so in a cooler, keeping the dressings separate. I mentioned Variation 1 in my Sauna, Sausage, Berries and Fish submission for the Camp Challenge. Both salads have been family favourites for many years.

BASE OF EACH SALAD For the base of each salad you will need:

6 Small or 4 Medium or 2 very large Beets*

4 Small or 3 Medium Potatoes*

2-3 Carrots, depending on size (for Variation 1 only)

1 Medium Cauliflower (For Variation 2)

*You can also use canned whole baby beets & even canned potatoes in a pinch to makes it easier at camp.

To prep both salads at the same time, double the quantities except the carrots and cauliflower.

Peel and cook potatoes and carrots with until just fork tender.

Cook beets with skins on until fork tender. Do not over cook or they will be mushy. Reserve a bit of the cooking water. Peel when cool enough to handle.

Cool & medium dice all veggies.

VARIATION 1 This variation is actually a salad that has been part of the traditional Christmas dinner in Finland for many generations as beets, potatoes and carrots were easily stored throughout the winter when other fresh vegetables were scarce or in short supply. The red/ green combination of the beets and gherkins also reflect the traditional colors of the season.

The Finnish name for this salad is, “Rossoli” which does not sound Finnish at all. Speculation is that the name came from Finland’s neighbour to the East, Russia, from the word “rassoi”, meaning “brine”. But as far back as the 1st. Century A.D. a similar beet salad was created by Apicus, a Roman gourmet, using mustard, oil and vinegar in his recipe.

To the Base add:

1 small Onion (yellow, white or red), minced

1 tart Apple, chopped (Granny Smith is good.)

6-8 sweet, cocktail-sized Sweet Pickled Gherkins, chopped

Gently combine all ingredients in a bowl.

Optional: Small pieces of Pickled Herring, hard-boiled Eggs, chopped

Pickled Herring has been around in Northern Europe since medieval times as a way of preserving fish before the advent of refrigeration. It can be found in most grocery stores or in Finnish/Scandinavian specialty shops and is usually imported from Finland or other Northern European countries. It is often sold in glass jars labelled, “Rollmops”. Matjes is the type of herring favoured by Finns. It is a mild young fish brined in vinegar, brown sugar and spices, also sold in glass jars.

DRESSING: Whip ½ cup heavy cream until thickened.

Mix in ½ tsp. white vinegar or the gherkin pickling brine, 1 tsp. beet cooking water for color, ¼ tsp. sugar, pinch of salt & pepper.

Taste test and add more of the ingredients to your liking. If you’re a fan of pickling juice, use it in place of the vinegar for extra zing.

VARIATION 2

To the Base add:

1 cup cooked Cauliflower, chopped. (Leave out the Carrots.)

2 Eggs, hard boiled and quartered.

I Cucumber, regular or English variety, cut in chunks.

Chopped ham, sausage or chicken, enough for 4

2-3 Green Onions (Scallions), chopped

Gently combine everything in a bowl.

DRESSING

Combine ½ cup each mayonnaise and sour cream.

Mix in 2 Tbs. horseradish sauce or prepared horseradish.

Salt and Pepper to taste.

The dressings should be added 30 minutes before serving if the salads are being transported. Refrigerate leftovers tightly covered with plastic wrap.

Like many foods, both salads are best prepared the day before serving to let flavours blend.

You'll be surprised at the tasty meal you create with this humble root that has been cultivated as a food crop and medicinal ingredient since ancient times. The Greeks gew it around 300 BC, but ate only the leaves and offered the root, considered to be worth its weight in silver, to Appolo, the sun god.

So, fill your plates with beets and dine like the gods!