This relish would be best made with yellow beets, if possible. That way it will keep the colors separate. Made with red beets, it will be just as delicious, but will be all red.

3 medium beets
Salt and pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup finely diced red onion
4 tablespoons lime juice, plus more for finishing
1 teaspoon grated ginger
2 medium cucumbers, peeled and diced into 1/2 inch cubes
2 tablespoons roughly chopped dill
2 tablespoons roughly chopped mint
2 tablespoons finely cut chives

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Place beets in a baking dish with an inch of water. Tightly cover baking dish and roast for 1 hour or so, until beets are soft enough to yield to a fork and skins easily rub off. Peel beets, let them cool, then dice into ½-inch cubes. Alternatively, peel and dice raw beets, then simmer in salted water for 20 to 30 minutes, until tender. (Beets may be cooked up to a day in advance.)

Put onions, ginger and lime juice in a mixing bowl with a big pinch of salt. Let macerate for 10 minutes or so, then add beets and cucumber to bowl. Season generously with salt and pepper and toss to coat well with juices. Leave to marinate, tossing occasionally, for at least 10 minutes and up to 30 minutes. Add fresh herbs and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve on top of fish, chicken, or just as a side dish.

It’s a salad, of bread. Make it easier on yourself and use whatever bread you have on hand, and swap the ricotta salata for feta. 

1½ pounds small beets, any color, scrubbed (about 10)
½ small red onion, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar, plus more for serving
Kosher salt
½ loaf rye bread, crusts removed, torn into 1-inch pieces (about 6 cups)
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus more for serving
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large orange
4 ounces ricotta salata (salted dried ricotta), crumbled
1 cup torn fresh herbs (such as dill, parsley, tarragon, and mint)

Preheat oven to 425°. Place beets in a shallow 2-qt. baking dish and add water to come ½" up sides. Cover dish tightly with foil and bake beets until tender and a cake tester or paring knife easily slides through flesh, 45–60 minutes. Let cool slightly.
Meanwhile, toss onion, 3 Tbsp. vinegar, and a pinch of salt in a small bowl to combine; set aside.


Toss torn bread and 2 Tbsp. oil on a rimmed baking sheet to coat; season with salt and pepper. Bake, tossing once, until bread is golden brown and crisp around edges, 8–10 minutes; set aside.
Rub beets with paper towels to remove skins, then halve (or quarter if large) and place in a large bowl; add onion with liquid.


Using a small sharp knife, remove peel and white pith from orange. Working over bowl with beets, cut between membranes to release segments into bowl. Squeeze membranes to release juices; discard. Add reserved toasted bread and 2 Tbsp. oil and toss to combine. Let sit a few minutes for flavors to meld.


Just before serving, fold in ricotta salata and herbs, drizzle with more oil and vinegar, and season with salt and pepper.

This recipe comes from one of our Richmond CSA members, Laurene! 

1 pound small beets (about 7 beets) 
1/2 cup white vinegar 
1/4 cup sugar 
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns 
2 bay leaves

Leave root and 1-inch stem on beets; scrub with a brush. Place in a medium saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 45 minutes or until tender. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain. Cool slightly. Trim off beet roots; rub off skins. Thinly slice beets; place in a large bowl.

Combine vinegar and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil; cook 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in salt, peppercorns, and bay leaves. Pour vinegar mixture over beets; cover and chill. Discard bay leaves.

A gorgeous color, this can be turned into a French 75 easily with the addition of gin and sparkling wine.

3 cups club soda
1½ cups fresh lemon juice
1 cup beet juice
⅔ cup simple syrup
2 tablespoons fresh ginger juice
8 ounces gin (optional)
8 ounces Prosecco (optional)

Stir club soda, lemon juice, beet juice, simple syrup, and ginger juice in a large pitcher. Divide among glasses filled with ice; top each with 1 oz. gin and 1 oz. Prosecco, if desired.

​Yield: 4-6 servings
Time: 20 minutes

1 bunch Tuscan kale, trimmed and finely shredded/sliced
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
2 small-medium beets, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks
1 bunch carrots, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks
1 apple, cored and thinly sliced
1/2 small red onion, sliced into little slivers
salt and pepper

dressing ingredients:
1 clove of garlic, peeled
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp prepared mustard (Dijon, stoneground, etc)
1/3 cup tahini 
juice of 1 orange (a generous 1/4 cup)
honey to taste
1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

In a large bowl, combine the sliced kale, celery, beets, carrot shreds, sliced apple and red onion slivers. Season all of that with some salt and pepper and toss. Set aside.

Make the dressing: combine all the dressing ingredients in a blender on high until you have a smooth dressing that will coat the back of a spoon, in a decidedly thin way (you might have to add splashes of water to get there). Check it for seasoning, adjust and set the dressing aside.

Pour the dressing onto the salad and toss it up. Garnish with parsley. 

​Time: 2 hours

1 bunch beets, greens removed 
1  bunch of carrots, cut into chunks
½  teaspoon of cumin
½  teaspoon of coriander
lemon juice
olive oil
Chopped, roasted almonds (optional)

Heat the oven to 400.
Wash beets, wrap in foil and put on a baking sheet.
Put carrot chunks on the baking sheet and toss with olive oil.
Roast until a knife pierces the beets with little resistance, 45 to 90 minutes, and the carrots are tender and browned (remove when done; before the beets).
When the beets are cool enough to handle, peel by gently rubbing the skin off under cold water, and cut into chunks; toss them and the carrots with chopped almonds, 1/2 teaspoon each of cumin and coriander, lemon juice and olive oil. Garnish with chopped fresh herbs of choice!

​Yield: 10 servings
Time: 2 hours, plus time for roasting beets

3 medium red beets
¾  cup/ 170 grams butter, plus more for greasing pan
¾  cup/180 milliliters buttermilk
 Juice of 1 large lemon
2  teaspoons/10 milliliters white vinegar
1 ½  teaspoons/7 milliliters vanilla extract
2  cups/200 grams cake flour (sift before measuring)
3  tablespoons/24 grams cocoa powder
1 ⅛  teaspoon/6 grams baking powder
1  teaspoon/6 grams salt
½  teaspoon/3 grams baking soda
1 ¾  cup/350 grams granulated sugar
3  eggs
Cream cheese frosting (recipe follows)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Wash beets and wrap in aluminum foil. Bake until the tip of a knife slides easily into the largest beet, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Cool until beets can be handled, then peel. (This may be done up to a day ahead.)
Butter two 9-inch cake pans. Line the bottoms of the pans with parchment and then butter again.
In a food processor, chop beets to pieces about the size of finely diced onions. Measure 1 cup and set aside (remaining beets can be reserved for another purpose). Return cup of beets to the food processor. Purée with buttermilk, lemon juice, vinegar and vanilla until smooth.
Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter until soft. Slowly add sugar and beat until creamy. Beat in eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.
Alternate adding flour mixture and beet mixture to butter mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, and beating for 10 seconds after each addition. Scrape down the bowl after each addition of the wet ingredients.
Divide batter between prepared cake pans, smoothing the tops. Bake until a cake tester inserted in the cake comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Remove pans from oven and cool completely on a wire rack.
To assemble, remove one cake from its pan and peel away parchment. Place flat side down on a serving platter. Drop about 1 cup of icing onto cake and, using a flat spatula, spread evenly over top. Remove the second cake from its pan and remove parchment. Place flat side down on top of first layer. Use remaining frosting to cover top and sides of cake.

Cream Cheese Frosting
½ cup/113 grams unsalted butter (1 stick), at room temperature
1  pound/454 grams cream cheese, at room temperature
½  teaspoon/3 grams salt
1 ½  teaspoons/7 milliliters vanilla extract
6  cups/720 grams powdered sugar
2  tablespoons/30 milliliters milk or cream, if needed

Cream butter and cream cheese in a stand mixer. Add salt and vanilla. Slowly start to add powdered sugar at low speed.
Once all the powdered sugar is incorporated, turn mixer to high and whip for at least 7 minutes or longer, scraping sides. If the icing seems too thick, mix in a tablespoon or 2 of the milk or cream.