How to beet the summer

Beets do not look like much from the outside, but once you cut into them you find a spectacular magenta root with lighter color rings. I cannot say that there are many other vegetables such as this in New England.

Although beet greens are also edible, I have never been fond of them. It’s not the way they taste; it’s the texture. They’re too slimey when they’re sauteed. I feel the same way about sauteed spinach. 

Beet greens are good for you, though. They contain lutein, a nutrient that may “reduce the risk of chronic eye diseases, including age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and cataracts,” according to the American Optometric Association. There is lutein in the beet root, too, but not as much as in the greens.

So maybe a beet a day will keep the eye doctor away.

Beet greens are also a source of iron, with up to 15 percent of the daily recommended value in one cup.

The beet roots contain betanin, which has been shown to lessen tumor cell growth in studies.

If you are currently on a detox, beet juice is the thing for you. It has been known to help break down toxins that are bound to other molecules in the body, aiding the “phase two” detoxification process.

As I prefer the beet roots over the greens, the recipe below, adapted from www.food.com, is a cake that incorporates them. The cake has a slight earthy taste when it comes out of the oven, but it seems to go away after about a day.  

Beet cake Adapted from www.food.com

Four eggs, 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1/2 cup maple syrup, 1 cup vegetable oil, 2 cups flour (plus extra for flouring the baking pan), 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 2 teaspoons vanilla, 3 cups peeled and shredded fresh raw beets, 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional).

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. The recipe calls for a 13-by-9 baking pan; I used a bundt pan for a more decorative approach. Take a knob of butter and grease the pan. Then take about a tablespoon of flour and drop it into the pan; shake it around and tap the sides until the butter is coated with the flour. Shake out any excess flour.

Mix the eggs, sugar, maple syrup and oil until they are light and fluffy. 

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon. Combine with the egg mixture.

Peel the beets before shredding. When I shredded the beets it looked a little like a murder scene so be careful not to get the juice everywhere; it can stain.

Add the vanilla, beets and walnuts to the egg-and-flour mixture and beat at medium speed for about a minute. 

Pour the mixture into the pan and bake for 45 minutes, or until you can poke a toothpick into the cake without any batter coming off on it. While waiting for the cake to bake, make frosting.

Let the cake cool before putting on the frosting — although the frosting is optional. This cake is a little bit like a zucchini bread so it doesn’t necessarily require frosting. This cake is also an acquired taste and is not for the faint of heart.

I’ve served the cake to about a dozen people. I’d say opinion was pretty evenly divided. People either loved it or they didn’t. 

If you want to eat beets but don’t want to take a chance on this cake, you can roast them with a little olive oil and salt or make them into a cold soup — so choose whatever “floats your boat.”