Hmmm … What can I tell you about Beets. Well, first off they are not made nearly enough in my house. Why do you ask, seeing as yours truly is the one who does all the cooking in the family. Well, six years ago when I moved in with my boyfriend he confessed his hatred for beets and said that he wished them never to be in our house. This is sorta how the conversation went but again, it was six years ago so its a little fuzzy

Me: “Hey, i’m going to the store how about a beet salad with dinner tonight?”

Rob: “Beets! Yuck! Puke! Horrible! NEVER!!!!!”

Me: “Whoa, calm down. No beet salad for us then.”

Rob: “You are forbidden to have beets in our house! FORBIDDEN!” (Ozzy Osbourn starts to play backwards on a record player in the background and clouds of doom start to appear overhead)

Me” “Forbidden? What did beets ever do to you?”

Rob: “My mom forced me to eat boiled beets as a kid. They were horrible. I hate them, keep them away.”

In the words of Barney Stinson “CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!”

When people tell me that they hate something because they ate it as a child 20 years ago and this horrible memory is stained in their head so they REFUSE to give it a try again, I cant help but be taken back and feel like its my duty to make a difference. Now, it’s understand if someone went on a roller coaster and then fell off and broke a leg then developed a fear of roller coasters. That to me is just. (Well, one day you would have to get back on because you cant live in fear) But hating a certain food because it was cooked bad as a child, not acceptable. Pickles were my enemy when I was younger but today they are an everyday staple. (OK not everyday but I am trying to make a point here) And lets face it, no one is born with a deep craving for earthy mushrooms but we get older, wise up to their deliciousness, and eat them ALL THE TIME! If you are living in food fear, step outside the bubble and give it another shot. Unless its snails, that one I never quite understood. It still is beyond me how someone ever looked at a snail and was like “That would make one tasty elegant meal.” Desperate times my friends, desperate times

Sadly, beets started to fade away from my life. Only when Rob would go away on a business trip would I quickly head to the grocery store and pick up a large bunch of them to begin a few day binge. This has to be the oddest food sneak in the history of food sneaks. Most people would get a chocolate bar or some chips, maybe some chocolate chunk ice-cream but not me, nope, I opt for the forbidden beets.

Sooooo …. eventually a few years later a small miracle happened. We were out at a restaurant and I had ordered brushcetta which had picked beets on it. When Rob took a bite it was like time had slowed, and when the chewing stopped and the words “That was really good” emerged from his mouth, victory bells began to play in my head. I am assuming this is what parents feel like when they finally get their kids to eat their vegetables. No more of this beets are awful business, they were fair game. Walking through the grocery store a few weeks ago I had stumbled across these beautiful bunch of beets and there was no better recipe than Bruschetta. After all it is what started it all.

First of all, there isn’t much that you cant put on top of perfectly toasted bread that I wont like but if I am at a restaurant and there is either beet and goat cheese or caprese bruschetta, then it is probably most defiantly being ordered, unless we are at Earls then wings would be my appetizer at choice, another weakness. The more I write on this blog the more my weakness for certain foods is realized. Case in point opening my fridge and realizing that there are over 9 different cheeses in it. Again, thankful I am not lactose intolerant.

If you are looking for a few reasons on why this should be on your to-make-list this week then look no further …

-Goat Cheese, I don’t need to say anymore on that matter

-Beets are full of antioxidants, vitamins and heart healthy nutrients

-Adding nuts such as walnuts to your diet can aid in weight loss

-With the addition of basil and balsamic, the beets take on an italian twist, always a fantastic choice

-Its crunchy, creamy, and delicious

This is a great appetizer to serve for a group of people, just put all the toppings in a bowl, serve with some crusty bread and let the guests serve themselves, this way the bread wont get soggy. Also, if you don’t have goat cheese you don’t need to make a mad dash to the store, feta is a great substitute. But if you don’t have either then dash to the store, it will be worth it. This recipe easily doubles or triples and will keep well in the fridge for a couple days, just know that the goat cheese and most anything touching the beets will turn red. It wont be as pretty but it will still taste great.