Delicious, but I cooked the beets first.

serves 4
You might need to buy:
  • extra-virgin olive oil
  • red-wine vinegar
  • Dijon mustard
  • Coarse salt and ground pepper
  • fresh orange juice

Many Greeks love giant white lima beans. This recipe is an adaptation of a dish prepared by the Greek chef Jim Botsacos for a Clean Monday celebration to benefit the Gennadius Library in Athens. Don’t soak the beans or they’ll fall while they cook. Mr. Botsacos serves this with skordalia.

serves 6
You might need to buy:
  • For the beans:
  • dried large lima beans
  • bay leaf
  • Salt to taste
  • fresh lemon juice
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • finely chopped celery
  • finely chopped yellow or red bell pepper
  • chopped fresh dill
  • For the beets:
  • red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar
  • Salt to taste
  • sugar

“Most winter borscht is made with beef stock and/or meat bones. This one gets its deep, savory flavor from porcini mushroom broth.”
Advance preparation: You can cook the beets a day or two ahead. Keep them in the refrigerator in the broth. You can make the complete soup a few days ahead; it gets better overnight. Don’t add the parsley until serving.

serves 6
You might need to buy:
  • canola oil
  • sherry vinegar or champagne vinegar
  • sugar
  • shredded cabbage
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • chopped fresh parsley
  • thickened nonfat plain yogurt

“This rich-tasting risotto is decidedly pink (maybe it will be the key to getting your picky daughter to eat vegetables!). Use a full-bodied vegetable stock if you are vegetarian; otherwise use a well seasoned chicken or turkey stock.”
Variation: I often blanch greens when I get them home from the market so that they won’t wilt or rot in the refrigerator if I don’t get around to cooking them right away. If you do this, and want to use them for this risotto, chop the blanched greens and set aside. Add them to the risotto during the last few minutes of cooking, just to heat them through and amalgamate into the dish.

Advance preparation: The roasted beets will keep for 5 days in the refrigerator. You can get ahead on the risotto, cooking it just through Step 3, then spreading the rice out in the pan or on a baking sheet. Reheat and proceed with Step 4 shortly before serving.

serves 4
You might need to buy:
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • finely chopped onion
  • Arborio or Carnarolli rice
  • Salt
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

“Different versions of this salad are popular from Turkey to North Africa. Red beets are used throughout the Mediterranean, but you could make this pungent salad with any type. If you mix the yogurt into the beets, your salad will be pink. I prefer to spoon it over the top.”
Advance preparation:

The beets can be prepared and marinated 4 or 5 days ahead.

Variation: You may substitute chopped or slivered fresh mint for the dill.

serves 4
You might need to buy:
  • sugar
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
  • thick Greek style yogurt or drained yogurt
  • minced dill

This glistening, lemony summer borscht is infused with garlic and utterly refreshing, even thirst-quenching. If you enrich the soup with yogurt, the color will be dark pink. If you don’t, it will be a clear, dark red.
Advance preparation: This soup can be made a day ahead and will be good for 2 or 3 days.

serves 6
You might need to buy:
  • water
  • sugar
  • Chopped fresh dill or chives for garnish
serves 4
You might need to buy:
  • olive oil
  • Dijon mustard
  • Coarse salt and ground pepper
  • recipe Basic Roasted Beets
  • red-wine vinegar
  • fresh orange juice