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Welcome to our 'Beet' issue!
My family enjoys beets so much we have them in our vegetable garden each year. They 're so easy to grow from seed. This year, we had such a good crop - we had enough for eating as well as for canning (pickling). Pickled beets are great sliced in a sandwich or with cheese and crackers. My favourite way to eat beets is to boil them, then slip skins off, slice and add a little bit of butter, salt and vinegar - delicious! Beets are also incredibly tasty roasted with carrots, fennel, parsnips and potatoes.
Enough about how much I love to eat beets - read on below to see what others have to say about this BC grown beauty.....
Enjoy!
regards,
Diane
THE BENEFIT OF BEETS
-By Louisa Lee
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Beets are a type of root vegetable that can be grown locally from June to December. You can buy beets year round. There are two parts of the beet which you can eat and both are nutritious: the bulb (or root) of the beet and the green leafy tops.
Nutrition and Beets
Beets are low in calories and a good source of potassium and the B-vitamin, folate. Beet greens are great sources of potassium, vitamin K and carotenoids, a type of antioxidant found naturally in food.
The following table lists some of the functions of a few of the vitamins and minerals found in beets. Canada’s Food Guide recommends eating a variety of vegetables and fruit each day. This will help you get some of vitamins and minerals that your body needs to stay healthy.
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Nutrient (and where it is found in the beet)
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Function
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| Folate (bulb) |
•Helps make red blood cells. If you don’t have enough folate in your diet, you can get a type of anemia and may feel tired, weak and find it difficult to focus. |
| Potassium (bulb and greens) |
•Important for the health of nerves and muscles, including the heart muscle.
• Helps to control water balance
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| Vitamin K (greens) |
•Helps to make proteins that cause your blood to clot when you are bleeding.
•Helps build and activate proteins that keep your bones strong.
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| Carotenoids (greens) |
•Antioxidants in foods that may reduce the risk of eye disease, some cancers and heart disease.
• Some types turn into vitamin A in the body. An example of this is beta-carotene.
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Tips to get the most out of the nutrients from cooking beets:
- Beet greens should look crisp and bright and beet bulbs should be firm with smooth skins.
- Cut beet green tops off one inch (2.5 cm) from the bulb and store them separately from the bulbs. If attached to the bulb, the beet greens can remove moisture from the bulb.
- In the refrigerator, store beets in a covered container for up to 3-4 weeks.
- Wash beets gently before cooking.
- Leave the one inch of the beet green tops on and do not peel beets before cooking. Peeling the beet after cooking helps to retain colour and flavour.
Food Safety Tips on Fruits and Vegetables
For food safety information about buying, storing and washing fresh fruits and vegetable, refer to these links:
Food Safety Facts for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables (CFIA): http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fssa/concen/specif/fruvege.shtml
Safe Handling of Leafy Greens (Health Canada):
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/securit/handl-manipul/safety-salubrite/leafy-feuille-eng.php
Dietitian Services at HealthLink BC provides free nutrition information and resources for BC residents and health professionals. Go to http://www.healthlinkbc.ca/ or call 8-1-1.
Disclaimer: Dietitian Services at HealthLinkBC cannot be held responsible for information published or broadcasted or posted more than one month after the date submitted. Text supplied by Dietitian Services at HealthLinkBC can only be used in its entirety unless specific permission is given.
 eat local, nutritious food
-by Paula Luther
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The crisp bite of the fall air nips at me as I watch in the season change before my eyes. The landscape is ablaze with colours, my cold storage overflows with rich earthy delights of potatoes, squash, apples, onions, beets, garlic and beyond. The shelves shimmer with preserves – sweet & savoury delights of a season's hard work. This is my familiar fall scene, having grown up with a backyard garden, a community garden plot, a family farm, a valley full of local farmers and a family of preservers. It is in my blood.
This familiar fall scene is both new and familiar to the Farmers' Market Nutrition & Coupon families. Participating families share their knowledge, recipes, stories, questions and excitement with each other, farmers, market managers and program leaders. They are growing community one bite at a time. Some families experienced a farmers' market for the very first time through their participation in the FMNCP. The colours, tastes, sounds and sense of community is something that keeps everyone coming back. With $15 of coupons each week for 17 weeks, participating families are able to purchase market fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, eggs, dairy, nuts and fresh cut herbs. Families are able to try new foods, new recipes, and know that as they feed their families nourishing meals, they know where their food came from and are supporting local farmers.
Each of the participating families has actively participated in a cooking & skill building program, where they received information and support in cooking and nutrition. Hands on cooking activities have included everything from canning, baby food making, cool foods for hot days to a dolmades making workshops. Each coupon dollar spent at their designated local farmers market went directly into a local farmer's pocket.
The 2009 season has been a great success. 16 communities across BC participated in the FMNCP this season, with families and farmers alike having benefited from the project. While we are wrapping the 2009 season, we are also looking ahead to the 2010 season. If your cooking & skill building program delivers hands on cooking & nutrition programming for low-income families with children and/or low-income pregnant women and you have a local farmers' market in your community, now is a great time to lay the foundation for the 2010 season. Speak with your local farmers market, encourage them to apply for the 2010 season. Check www.bcfarmersmarket.org/findamarket.asp to see if the market is a member of the BC Association of Farmers' Markets.
Happy eating!
Paula Luther, RHN
Project Manager
coupon@bcfarmersmarket.org
http://www.bcfarmersmarket.org/fmncp
604-254-4512
DISHWASHING IN A COMMUNITY KITCHEN
In community kitchens where there is no dishwasher available, it is important to stick to a few simple rules for hand-washing dishes. Proper technique will keep your dishes clean and keep you from getting sick! There are 5 main steps to manual dishwashing:
#1 Scraping: Dirty dishes need a home of their own— a place to scrape and sort them before they are washed—a counter right next to the sink is the best place. And remember to keep the dishes moving in the same direction in the kitchen—from dirty on one side of the sink to clean on the other.
# 2 Washing: In a small kitchen it may not be possible to have the three compartments that are needed to wash, rinse and sanitize. So, it is important that you utilize what you do have. If there is only one sink, you can use it for washing. Use warm water, detergent and scrubbing to remove oils and food debris from the dishes. Here, water temperature is important to kill germs and to help the detergent remove stuck on food bits. Water should be at least 44°C (110°F) or higher, but not too hot that it scalds, and if the water cools down the sink must be refilled with hot water and detergent.
#3 Rinsing: It is important to rinse dishes in clean warm water to remove soap and food residue—this gives the sanitizer a clean surface to work on. If you do not rinse, the sanitizer will not be able to do its job properly. If two sinks are available, the second one can be used for rinsing. But if only one is available, a large bucket can be used instead.
#4 Sanitizing: This step is very important as it will kill any leftover germs that may have survived the washing step and can prevent illness. In a sink or large (clean) bucket, add one capful of chlorine bleach to 24°C (75°F) water and let the cleaned dishes soak for 45 seconds.
#5 Air Drying: Air drying is recommended for all dishes. Adequate space is needed for proper air drying of all dishes. If towel drying is absolutely necessary, the towels must be freshly laundered and designated for drying only, otherwise you risk recontaminating the dishes.
So, follow all of the 5 important steps in your dish-washing procedure (hang signs above the sink to promote this) for safe, clean and germ free dishes!
Disclaimer: This article expresses the opinion of the Environmental Health Program of the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT). Contact your local Environmental Health officer in your Health Authority to find out more about washing dishes in your community setting. Click on the relevant link to find the contact information for your health authority: Vancouver Coastal Health; Fraser Health; Vancouver Island Health; Interior Health; Northern Health.
NEWS
Food Skills for Families
The Food Skills for Families (FSF) provincial initiative recently released an Executive Summary of their Phase Three Evaluation. This document encapsulates the data and information from the FSF programs running in Phase Three from April to June 2009. Similar to the evaluations from the first two phases of the FSF program, the Canadian Diabetes Association is seeing positive changes in all areas they hoped to impact including cooking skills, menu planning and shopping and understanding what healthy food and servings are.
Update on our Blog
In July, we announced the launch of our web log (or "blog") on our e-list. Since then, we've had quite a few visitors and it's been an effective way of updating our website too. One of the most popular features has been Diane's Canning Diary.
Last month, we were asked a great question on how to prevent equipment from "growing legs". We had a few ideas but also sent out a message on our e-list to gather more ideas from our e-list subscribers. We compiled the ideas into a blog post called "How to Prevent Missing Kitchen Equipment". If you have anything you'd like to add - please let us know!
If you've been curious about the staff at Fresh Choice Kitchens, read about how we were recently featured on 5questions blog by Kontent Creative Group.
New ways to keep informed on Fresh Choice Kitchens
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Attention Macintosh users: If your computer uses a G4 or G5 processor, please contact us. To view the newsletter in full, visit our website
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BEET RECIPES
-By Karen Barnaby
As soon as fall arrives, I start thinking about beets. Not only purple ones but the yellow beets that I’m happy to see are gaining in popularity. They’re just as tasty and a beautiful colour.
Choose small or medium-sized beets that are smooth-skinned and deep in color. Avoid beets that have spots, bruises or soft, wet areas, all of which indicate spoilage. Shriveled or soft beets should also be avoided as these are signs that the roots are aged, tough and fibrous.
Store beets unwashed in the refrigerator crisper where they will keep for two to four weeks. Cut the majority of the greens and their stems from the roots, so they do not pull away moisture away from the root. Leave about two inches of the stem attached to prevent the roots from "bleeding." Store the unwashed greens in a separate plastic bag where they will keep fresh for about four days.
Raw beets do not freeze well since they tend to become soft upon thawing. Freezing cooked beets is fine; they'll retain their flavor and texture.
Many people boil beets but I find roasting easier and the flavour of the beets is preserved. It’s economical if you already have the oven on and are cooking something else.
To roast beets, place scrubbed and trimmed beets in a single layer on a double layer of tinfoil. Wrap tightly so no steam escapes. Place on a baking sheet and cook for 1-1¼ hours depending on the size of the beets. If the beets have been stored for a long time, it may take up to 2 hours. Let cool in the foil until cool enough to handle then slip off the skins. Use gloves if you don’t want purple hands. Cooked beets are easier to peel if not chilled.
For peeling raw beets, use a small, sharp paring knife or vegetable peeler.
Beet and Apple Soup
Click here for a printer-friendly version of this recipe for servings of 4, 8 or 16
You can use yellow beets instead of purple and the soup can be pureed in a blender if you like a smooth texture.
Makes 16 servings
2 pounds beets, trimmed and scrubbed
16 cups vegetable or chicken broth
4 cups apple juice
6 Tbsp butter or vegetable oil
6 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, diced
3 cup diced carrot
3 cup diced onion
3 cup diced celery
9 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, or to taste (from 1 large lemon)
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Sour cream for garnish, optional
Place the beets in a large, heavy pot and cover with the broth and juice. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, partially covered, until tender, about 45 minutes. Transfer the beets to a bowl with a slotted spoon, saving the broth. When cool enough to handle, slip off the skins and dice the beets.
Melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium- low heat. Add the onion, celery, carrot and apples and cook until the vegetables sizzle. Add the apple and cook, stirring frequently until the apples soften around the edges. Add to the beet broth and bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. If the soup is too thick for your taste, add a little water. Add the lemon juice and season to taste. Serve garnished with the sour cream.
Roasted Beets with Cumin Seeds
Click here for a printer-friendly version of this recipe for servings of 6, 12 or 18.
If you have access to fresh mint leaves, they’re great in this beet dish. Use 1 cup of chopped leaves for every 6 servings.
Makes 18 servings
3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
3 tsp cumin seeds, toasted and lightly crushed
1 ½ tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
6 Tbsp olive oil
9 medium beets, trimmed, leaving 1 inch of stem attached
6 Tbsp finely chopped red onion
Stir together lemon juice, cumin seeds, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Stir in oil and let stand while roasting beets. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F.
Tightly wrap beets in a double layer of foil and roast on a baking sheet until tender, 1 to 1¼ hours. Cool to warm in foil package, about 20 minutes.
When beets are cool enough to handle, peel them, discarding stems and root ends, then cut into ½-inch-wide wedges.
Toss warm beets with dressing and onion. Serve warm or cold.
CONTRIBUTORS
Karen Barnaby is the Executive Chef of the Fish House in Stanley Park and food columnist for the Vancouver Sun. An award winning cookbook author, her most recent cookbook is The Passionate Cook, Whitecap Books, 2004. Karen has been an active supporter of Fresh Choice Kitchens for over 10 years, helping us with a number of our initiatives including our Many Hands Cookbook.
Marta Jaeckel is finishing her studies in the Environmental Health program at the British Columbia Institute of Technology. Upon completion she is hoping to work as a Public Health Inspector in the Metro Vancouver area. Prior to this program she obtained a degree in cell biology and genetics from the University of the Fraser Valley. In her spare time, Marta enjoys kick-boxing, reading Jane Austen and making sure her burger's done at 71°.
Louisa Lee is a dietitian living in Vancouver. She went to UBC and SFU and has spent the majority of her nutrition career as a community dietitian. She is enjoying her new role at Dietitian Services at HealthLinkBC. Her hobbies include cooking for others and cycling in balmy weather.
Paula Luther is the Project Manager for the BC Farmers' Market Nutrition and Coupon Project. She is also a Registered Holistic Nutritionist and is active in community food initiatives. She loves having her home filled with the smells of a pot of soup simmering on the stove & good friends.
Additional thanks to :
Martin Macleod Instructor in BCIT Environmental Health for connecting us with Marta
Paula Luther for the fabulous beet photo in this issue.
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