For ages now, I've been meaning to make Harvard Beets. When A Veggie Venture first launched in April 2005 and I was looking for ideas, my Auntie Meryl suggested them. And back in June, a commenter reminded me. Thank you both, they're delicious!Harvard Beets are a simple, classic treatment for already-cooked beets, apparently first published in the Fannie Farmer cookbook. That said, I haven't yet tried her classic treatment, which calls for using the water in which the beets are cooked to make the sauce. That, I shall yet try.
But Harvard Beets are also good enough reason TO cook some beets. (How do you cook beets? Well, you can cook beets in water. Or you can roast beets. Or you can grate beets for pan-fried patties. Or ... I could go on and on but just check here for lots of beet recipes. I may be the Veggie Evangelist but am also a certified Beet Queen.)
NUTRITION NOTES
- I accidentally left out the specified butter but didn't miss it. Happy accident!
- The beets are rich and full of sweetness and flavor. A small serving feels like plenty so I'm providing nutrition information for both small and large servings. In addition, the sauce quantity is plenty for 6 cups of beets vs 3 cups
- All this is a good lesson in the usefulness of a nutrition analysis program (I use a program called Accuchef). I omitted the butter, of course. But even afterward, by adjusting portion size and sauce quantity, the point range varies from zero to two points. (See the Nutrition Estimate below for detail.)
- Garnish with grated orange peel or bits of chopped chive or dill.
Hands-on time: oops, maybe 15 minutes?
Time to table: oops
Serves 8 in small servings, 4 in larger servings
Weight Watchers 0 - 2 points per serving
NetCarb 10 - 30 per serving
SAUCE (enough for 6 cups beets so you might consider doing half)
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 cup orange juice (I used fresh, the inspiring recipe used the liquid used to cook the beets)
1/4 cup cider vinegar
[omitted] 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3 cups cooked beets, peeled and diced (from 3 medium- to large-size beets)
Salt & pepper to taste
Optional garnish: orange zest, chopped chive, chopped dill
In a small saucepen, stir together the sugar and cornstarch. (Be sure to work out any cornstarch lumps.) Slowly stir in the orange juice and vinegar, working out any lumps that appear. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in butter if using. Toss with diced beets. Season to taste. Transfer to serving bowl and garnish. Serve at room temperature.
NUTRITION ESTIMATE
4 servings, 3c beets, no butter, all the sauce - Per Serving: 135 Cal (2% from Fat, 6% from Protein, 92% from Carb); 2 g Protein; 0 g Tot Fat; 0 g Sat Fat; 33 g Carb; 3 g Fiber; NetCarb30; 23 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 99 mg Sodium; 0 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 2 points
8 servings, 3c beets, no butter, all the sauce - Per Serving: 68 Cal (2% from Fat, 6% from Protein, 92% from Carb); 1 g Protein; 0 g Tot Fat; 0 g Sat Fat; 17 g Carb; 1 g Fiber; NetCarb 16; 12 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 49 mg Sodium; 0 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 1 point
4 servings, 3c beets, no butter, half the sauce - Per Serving: 96 Cal (2% from Fat, 9% from Protein, 89% from Carb); 2 g Protein; 0 g Tot Fat; 0 g Sat Fat; 23 g Carb; 3 g Fiber; NetCarb20; 22 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 98 mg Sodium; 0 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 1 point
8 servings, 3c beets, no butter, half the sauce - Per Serving: 48 Cal (2% from Fat, 9% from Protein, 89% from Carb); 1 g Protein; 0 g Tot Fat; 0 g Sat Fat; 11 g Carb; 1 g Fiber; NetCarb 10; 11 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 49 mg Sodium; 0 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 0 points
SHORTHAND RECIPE
HARVARD BEETS 3c beets w (do half sauce) 1/3c sugar, 2t cornstarch, ¼c oj, ¼c cider vinegar, cooked, garnish w chive, dill zest WW8=0 VV06
CREDIT WHERE CREDIT'S DUE
Adapted from Epicurious
(c) Copyright 2006 Kitchen Parade
Comments:
Pille, the Beet Princess;)
Beet Princess ~ I so often see beet inspiration at Nami Nami, would you like to share the crown? Or better yet, I dub thee Beet Queen.
Sher ~ They're old-fashioned, yes, but a keeper.
Sally ~ "Nursing home food", I hope that's a recommendation!
Peabody ~ The orange, yes, it pairs beautifully with beets.
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