13 Easy-to-Grow Vegetables and Herbs (Page 3)

Beets

Why we love them: Beets are an earthy, sweet treat. And don’t forget to eat the beet greens too—baby ones are delicious raw in a salad; cook more mature ones as you would chard or kale.

What you get: 1/2 cup of cooked beets has a mere 29 calories but boasts 2 grams of fiber and provides 19 percent of the daily value for folate, a B vitamin needed for the growth of healthy new cells. Beets’ beautiful color comes from betanin, a phytochemical that’s thought to bolster immunity.

In your garden: You can plant your beets as soon as your soil can be worked in the spring.

Use beets in these recipes:
Spring Salad with Beets, Prosciutto & Creamy Onion Dressing
Quick Pickled Beets
Borscht
Roasted Beet Crostini
Beets & Greens Salad with Cannellini Beans