| HARVARD BEETS 3 cups beets, cut into ½ inch cubes. Prepare fresh beets as directed below, or use canned. 1 cup water, or if using canned beats, 1 cup juice from the can. Note: Do not use the liquid the beets were first boiled in because it often contains fragments of dirt or sand. 3 tablespoons flour 2 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon salt Dash of pepper ¼ cup cider vinegar Mix flour, sugar, vinegar and spices together until all lumps have disappeared. Bring beets and water to a boil then slowly drizzle in flour mixture, stirring constantly until flour has thickened and mixture is smoothly blended. Serves six. HOW TO PREPARE FRESH BEETS: Wash and scrub 5 or 6 medium-sized beets. Trim tops back to within ¼ inch from the base. Do not cut into the bulb of the beet. (This prevents juice from bleeding out and helps to retain the beets’ deep burgundy color.) Place beets in a 4-quart sauce pan and cover beets just over the top with water. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat. Simmer for 40 minutes or until tender which depends on the size of the beet. (When ready you should be able to pierce the beet easily with a fork.) Pour off excess water and run cold water over the beets for one or two minutes to cool them. Lift beets out of the pan with your fingers and squeeze them under running water. The skins should slip off easily in your palms. Trim off any remaining skin or stems with a paring knife. |