The color and flavor of beets go well with apples, oranges, dried fruit, greens, onions, potatoes, eggs, caraway, dill, parsley, and rosemary. Beets part nicely with their skins after cooking and make for nice pink hands.

BABY BEETS AND GREENS -- Cut the tops off baby beets, roast the beets at 375 for half an hour in a pan with oil and fresh rosemary. Skin while still warm. Sauté the greens in oil and vinegar and serve, topped with the beets.

BEET GREEN CASSEROLE -- Sauté garlic and sliced mushrooms in butter and oil; add parboiled, chopped, drained beet greens and mix well. Off heat, add ricotta and Parmesan, season with salt and blend in egg yolks to make a smooth custard. Pour into shallow baking dish that has been greased and sprinkled with bread crumbs. Cover with more bread crumbs, sprinkle with oil and bake about 30 minutes until golden brown. Serve hot or cold.

BEET GREENS AND PASTA -- Slice greens and sauté in olive oil with garlic, sun dried tomatoes and chopped olives. Add broth if needed to make a sauce, then toss with ziti or penne. Garnish with toasted pine nuts and Parmesan.

Please --- We'd very much like to include your favorite ideas in this collection. Click here , and you'll go to a simple submission form. Thanks in advance for sharing your wisdom. BEET PUREE -- Make beet puree (cook whole beets until tender and then blend until smooth, adding spices as desired) and use with roast chicken or pork. Or use to thicken gazpacho, cabbage soup, tomato-based soup or other vegetable cream soups.

BEET SALAD IDEAS: -- Julienned beets tossed and chilled in tarragon vinaigrette dressing then served over watercress with orange sections and sliced red onions. -- Sliced beets and sliced avocado on top of beet leaves, drizzled with a dressing made with red wine vinegar, lemon juice, shallots, oregano, thyme, parsley and olive oil. -- Make a pasta salad. Toss sautéed garlic and hot red pepper, steamed julienned carrots, steamed small peas, julienned beets, grated Parmesan, parsley and oregano with hot linguine and serve warm or chilled. - - Beets, pineapple, celery and onions tossed with olive oil and red wine vinegar. Add salt as needed and chill. Serve on lettuce leaves. --Diced beets and sliced endives with vinaigrette dressing and parsley. -- Diced beets, diced green apples, grapes, celery and chives with or without salad greens. --Beets, spinach, mushrooms, grated lime peel and poppy seed or vinaigrette dressing.

BEETS AND APPLES -- Make an applesauce by simmering cooked beets with sliced apples and seasoning with mace or nutmeg. Serve with meats.

BEETS IN MUSTARD SAUCE -- Make a roux, add chicken stock and milk, and when thickened, blend in Dijon mustard, minced chives and dried tarragon. Serve over sliced, cooked beets. Make a hot vegetable salad by adding other cooked vegetables such as carrots, leeks, parsnips, potatoes, turnips, etc.

BEETS WITH RICE -- Mix cooked rice with beets and caraway, onions and leeks.

BRAISED BEETS -- Brown sliced onions and garlic, add beet slices and cook until browned. Sprinkle with flour, turn and sprinkle with more flour. Brown flour, then add some wine vinegar and chicken stock. Season with salt and pepper and simmer, covered, about 25 minutes. Can make dish with half beets, half potatoes.

Broccoli Blue Cheese Sandwich WITH BEETS -- Spread toast with mustard, thinly sliced and sautéed broccoli stalks and red bell pepper strips; pile on shredded raw cabbage, carrot and beets. Top with slice of cheese and broil. Ladle on blue cheese dressing (blue cheese, yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, vinegar) and top with red onion slices

GLAZED BEETS -- In pan, combine butter, lemon juice, maple syrup or brown sugar, apricot or peach jam or juice or orange marmalade, nutmeg and grated ginger. Bring to boil then simmer until a rich glaze, then add cooked beets, coat and heat.

RASPBERRY BORSCHT -- Combine cutup, cooked beets, raspberries, minced red onion, and 2 cups of liquid from cooking beets. Puree it all in batches in a blender and strain to remove raspberry seeds. Stir in lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, and sugar to taste. Chill the soup and serve with sour cream.

SOUTH AMERICAN POTATO BEET SALAD -- Cooked and cooled but firm chunked potatoes, beets and carrots, seasoned with chopped onion and celery, vinegar, mayonnaise parsley, salt and pepper. --David Brown, Old Lyme CT

STUFFED BEET LEAVES -- Stuff blanched, drained beet leaves with a mixture of sautéed shallots and garlic, chopped pine nuts, browned ground meat (beef or pork), cooked rice, beaten egg, Parmesan cheese, parsley and rosemary. In a casserole, heat chicken stock and add chopped onions, carrots and celery, then stir in chopped tomatoes, bay leaf and thyme. Bake stuffed rolls on top of vegetables about 30 minutes. Cover and add stock as needed to keep moist.

SWEET BEETS -- Use beet puree (above) or grated beets in recipes calling for pureed or grated carrots or zucchini.