I've always loved hanging around in the kitchen. It's where I start and end my day. When I was a little girl, it was my way of maximizing my time with my mom, who loved to cook. And wow, could she cook! One thing she taught me at a very early age was to never waste food. She taught me not to peel the carrots and that the skin of the potato is where most of the nutrients lie, so why would anyone want to throw them out? We didn't have a lot of money growing up, so this lesson of no waste stuck with me. We were told to clean our plates and to always use all parts of the vegetable.
This morning I was making my kvass (an awesome probiotic fermented beverage made from beets). I cut up the bulbs and I was left with these beautiful stalks and leaves. So I chopped up these remains. I made an awesome stir-fry with some of the leaves and stalks (adding garlic and lemon, salt and pepper), then I threw some into a salad (not only did it add stunning color to the salad, but it gave it a super crunch too), and the rest, I threw in jar and pickled.
The beet stalks are packed with nutrients, such as betalain, a powerful source of antioxidants. They also reduce inflammation and are super high in nitric oxide - which is so important for the health of our blood vessels - which means not only better heart and brain health, but also more fun in bed :) You can even eat the stalks like celery sticks. They have a unique earthy taste and look beautiful on a tray of fresh veggies.
What can I say? Beets are pretty remarkable, from the bottom to the top, and everything in between...!