Think Pink!

Pink is my favorite color for soups. That's because all the pink soups I know are made of beets,making them sweet and hearty. According to the BC Association of Farmer's Markets, beet season is just ending now, so its a great time to pick some up at the local market and enjoy!

I snagged some very pretty beets at the Farmer's Market at Grizzly Plaza last week, and it took me a while, but I got around to making some soup in which they played the starring role. My usual beet soup looks something like this: Pot 1: butter, onions, celery, carrots, (and maybe cabbage) sauteed until sweet and translucent. Pot 2: beets and potatoes boiled in salted water or stock until soft. Combine, add a jar of canned tomatoes, and simmer til its all soft enough to blend (with my second favorite appliance: the immersion blender). Season with salt, pepper, dill, and maybe some sour cream. It turns out a pretty fuchsia color and tastes delicious!

And of course because food is my medicine, shouldn't I tell you what beets can treat? Like most vegetables, they're good for so many things and they're coming up with new fabulous ways to use good food for health every day.

Firstly, beets're bright red. This tells you that they have a lot of antioxidants (important in preventative medicine, especially for cancer and heart disease). The bright red color also tells you that they will help to treat blood deficiency (not necessarily the same as anemia, though they often overlap). Secondly, they're a good source of fibre. The specific fibres found in beets seem to be especially good at lowering cholesterol levels. There is also evidence that beet fibre along with oligosaccharides (sugar chains) are a good pre-biotic (meaning that it makes your gut environment a happy place for friendly bacteria to call home). Thirdly, they contain betaine, which is protective against heart and liver disease. Maybe I'll write a little more about betaine later, its an interesting compound!

 I'm thinking of trying some more beet recipes...

• Anise Scented Balsamic Beets
• Beet Risotto (this is most likely my next beety project!)
• Beet Chips (probably best not to try these unless I can get my hands on a mandolin)

Or I might just roast some up and throw them on a salad with endive, goat cheese, nuts... mmm beets.