Drunk Beets
Pas de betterave, drunk or otherwise, in the Lorgues market.
Following that beet post, I received this letter and family recipe from Rebecca, a.k.a. The Woman Behind "The Man Who Planted Trees". You see, it was Rebecca who sent the link to that wonderful French film - a film that can be viewed, for free!, in French, in English... in Russian, Greek, Esperanto.... Merci encore to The Woman Behind The Man Who Planted Trees, and for the following story and recipe.
Oh, and a word about this post's title... I was looking up the French word for "pickled" when I found definition two: "bourré," "ivre" ... or drunk. Like that, voilà, "Drunk Beets" it is! Here now, is Rebecca's letter:
Dear Kristen,
I had my own little adventure with the word "betterave". My best friend
and I have traveled to Europe six or seven times. Her job, pre Euro, was to do
all fiscal calculations: pounds to francs to lira to shillings to marks to
guilders. If I borrowed ten francs she told me what to pay her back in lira.
My job was linguist.
We decided one day in Paris to go to the Gobelin factory to see the famous
carpets being made. We arrived around lunch time and had missed the morning
tour. So in a somewhat working-class section of Paris, we decided to eat lunch
at a local brasserie. My French is largely "menu French" and it was my job to
translate the menu. This had occasionally resulted in a surprise. Well, I had
figured out the chicken and beefsteak and two of the three appetizers. The last
one was betterave something. Madam came to take our order and I said, "Je ne
sait pas le betterave." She very kindly and tactfully corrected me with "Vous
ne connait pas le betterave." (I may have spelled that wrong, don't get much
practice.) My shoulder shrugging confirmed that I didn't know what it was.
Madam launched into a long string of French that ended with "avec moi." I
followed her to the kitchen where she opened the refrigerator and pointed to a
beautiful beet and potato salad. I grinned and said in my best accent, "Madam,
merci. Le betterave, c'est mon favorite."
Madam then managed to convey that there was only one portion of chicken
left (we had both ordered the chicken) and whipped out a thin beefsteak which
she mimed slapping on the grill and I agreed that it would be for me. She was
very kind and animated and twenty years later, I still look back on that little
lunch with fondness....and I've never forgotten the word for beet.
Here is my mother and grandmother's recipe for pickled beets. They are
like candy. People who wouldn't touch a beet with a ten foot pole, become
converts. Since I don't have a garden, I use canned beets and the microwave.
3 cans of beets (for 1/2 recipe) 1 lemon, thinly
sliced
6 cans of beets (for whole recipe) 1 Tablespoon cinnamon
2 cups sugar 1 teaspoon ground
cloves
2 cups of apple cider vinegar 1 teaspoon allspice
2 cups water or canned beet juice 1 Tablespoon salt
This recipe is easy to halve. 1/2 of a tablespoon = 1 1/2 teaspoons.
Boil unpeeled beets with part of the tops still on (or the beets will
bleed) until tender. Cool, peel and slice. If using canned beets, drain juice
and save to use instead of water. Combine all ingredients except beets and
bring to a boil either on the stove top or in a microwave. Be sure to use a
non-reactive pan (I.e. stainless steel, not aluminum). I use a big pyrex bowl
in the microwave. Add the beets and simmer for 15 minutes. I use a 50-60%
setting on the microwave. Pack in jars and seal or keep in the
refrigerator.
If halving the recipe, be sure to use only 1/2 lemon and remove it
immediately after simmering for 15 minutes, or it will leave a bitter
taste.
Sometimes when I have a batch of these simmering in the microwave, the
aroma brings me to tears as I so thoroughly associate it with my mother who died
fourteen years ago of Alzheimers. This recipe is like having a little of her
back. Teach your daughter how to make these. They are a nice thing to begin to
learn how to cook with especially if the kid hates beets and all the better if
they love them.
Glad you enjoyed "The Man Who Planted Trees".
Sincerely,
Rebecca Scully
(Rebecca is a retired medical technologist who worked for thirty-seven years in a large teaching hospital laboratory. She writes: "Med techs follow directions (procedures, "recipes") for a living. These days, I cook once a year whether I need to or not!")
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Cookbooks~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In the book, A Taste of Haiti (with recipe titles given in English, Creole, and French), find a recipe for Jus de betterave, or beet juice, that cleanses the blood. Santé!
Check out David Larousse's Hors D'Oeuvre Bible for plenty of beets recipes, including Les Caisses de Betteraves, or Beetroot Squares.
(Rebecca is a retired medical technologist who worked for thirty-seven years in a large teaching hospital laboratory. She writes: "Med techs follow directions (procedures, "recipes") for a living. These days, I cook once a year whether I need to or not!")
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Cookbooks~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In the book, A Taste of Haiti (with recipe titles given in English, Creole, and French), find a recipe for Jus de betterave, or beet juice, that cleanses the blood. Santé!
Check out David Larousse's Hors D'Oeuvre Bible for plenty of beets recipes, including Les Caisses de Betteraves, or Beetroot Squares.
