Beets, it’s what’s for dinner.

My girlfriend has been maintaining an abundant garden. We’re growing tomatoes, basil (purple and green), arugula, kale, mixed lettuces, carrots, squash, and I’m sure there is something I’m missing. But the thing I’ve been waiting all summer for is the beets. Yesterday we began harvesting some, and today I got to cook them in the slower cooker.

I started out with 4 beets, and cut the tops and bottoms off, and then peeled the skin. The scraps from this step got put in a gallon freezer bag, where all our veggie cooking scraps go. Once the bags is full, I like to make a nice vegetable broth. If I have a chicken carcass on hand, I’ll add it to the broth for a bone veggie broth. God it’s good.

Once peeled, I cut each one into quarters and then added them to the crock pot, with 2 tbsp of olive oil, 1/2 tsp of kosher sea salt, 3 tbsp of apple cider vinegar, and a few chopped sprigs of parsley (another thing we’re growing that I forgot about).

I tossed it all with a spoon, and then covered and sealed it. 3 hours on low, and I ended up with some of the most tender and tasty beets around.

Give it a try.

One thing I forgot to mention. A few years ago, when my grandfather was alive, he caught me throwing out some beet leaves. This was around 2019, before I had ever considered food waste, agriculture, or even food insecurity.

He stopped me and said, “that’s where all the power is.” From that moment on, whenever I have beet leaves, they go right into my smoothie. They are such a delicious and nutritious addition.