Sfecla. n. (romanian) the crimson-red root vegetable that

Sfecla. n. (romanian) the crimson-red root vegetable that one eats steamed, cooked, or raw in salads, soups, sautées, or whatever other creative form to keep one’s bowel movements regular during a long Moldovan winter.

Beets. Delicious red beets that neither Lindsey nor I would have much considered to put into our daily diet until we braved one Moldovan winter, where green things were hard to come by and the gray skies left us lacking not just our Vitamin D.  So we fully embraced heart-healthy, vitamin and mineral-rich sfecla to add a little color to our potatoes, onions, and carrots. Did I mention how cheap they were? 6 lei/kilo at one point (49 cents), which would maybe be the same price of a small tomato at that point.  Sfecla is much better paired with something though.  Sfecla & spice carried us a long ways last winter.

We would go so far as to, on long weekends away from site, come prepared with 1-2 kilos of beet salad.  A few other volunteers would look at us like we were a bit too prepared and crazy. But we knew that they were jealous. We were saving bani (money) which seems to fly out of your pocket when hungry in the capital city, and we were staying regular. Who really wants to wallow in constipation when you should be enjoying the luxuries of good friends and city conveniences?

So in order for you to enjoy life like we bani-bagging, unbloated fete (in other words, penny-pinching, happy girls) do thanks to our sfecla, we would like to share a couple recipes.  They are very alterable. Carrots are also sometimes added.  

Asian Beet Salad
1 kg, Shredded raw beets
2 big spoonfuls, fresh finely chopped ginger
2/3 part, balsamic vinegar
1/3 part, soy sauce
A touch of olive oil
Pinch or two, cayenne pepper
Maybe a pinch of cinnamon
1 cup, double cream branza (like a dry, dense cream cheese in the U.S.)
1/2 cup, chopped nuts (optional)

The first and hardest step is to shred the beets. Mix together the dressing (leave out the branza). Add to the beets and mix. When ready to serve, add branza and chopped nuts. Poftiti!

Sfecla Surprise
1kg, chopped beets
1 big spoonful, garlic
1-2 big spoonfuls, mayonnaise 
1/2 cup, chopped and pitted prunes
2/3 cup, double cream branza
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together and eat. Surprise! It tastes pretty darn good!

Tip: if beets are to expensive, boil red cabbage for 5 minutes and use that as a filler. 

Unfortunately, beets are going out of season so try these recipes out soon or keep them in mind for next fall and winter!

http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/beets.html