Originally from the Mediterranean, only the leaves were eaten historically.  The Romans were the first civilization to cultivate deeply pigmented roots for food.  We have Napoleon to thank for beets being a primary source of sugar when the passed a decree in the 19th century - The first sugar factory was built it Poland. Buy fresh beets and please eat the stems! steam...

These Italian style wilted greens can go with pasta for dinner. Or, skip the pasta and tuck them under a softly poached egg. Wilted Beet Greens with Italian Sausage 2 portions dry pasta (bow ties!) 2 sweet Italian sausages (or other tasty sausages) 2 Tablespoons olive oil 4 cloves garlic, sliced 1 teaspoon chili flakes 1 bunch beet greens, washed and chopped 1 teaspoon...

This Indian style salad is very simple to make and very pretty: as you stir it together the whole thing turns pale pink. I think it looks prettiest not stirred until completely monochromatic, so there are some pink stripes here and there. You can either roast the beets in the oven, then peel them, or peel the beets and boil them in water, then allow to cool before chopping....