Why:
Now that the kitchen garden is literally exploding, it feels very unfair to all the other vegetables out there to only pick one. But for me, I have an extra close friend in the beet. First up out of the earth is the tender haulm – great for salads or to sauté. The early vegetables are elegant and tender, and the complexity in flavour increases the longer they stay in the ground.
How:
The area of usage is enormous – boil, bake, shave, pickle, marinate or ferment in lactic acid. The list goes on and on. The sweeter variants of the beet are also great in desserts – for example rhubarb and red beets make a magical combo.
Where:
Anywhere – simply boil and add a knob of butter.
As told by Elias Eriksson, head chef at Woodstockholm Matbaren, a neighbourhood joint on Mosebacke torg square.
Photo (portrait): Erik Vallsten