It’s a year-long celebration of flavor and beauty as we honor and grow the beet. The National Garden Bureau (NGB) has declared 2018 the year of this garden mainstay.

Dress up your dinner table with the NGB’s Edible of the Year.  Not only are beets tasty and pretty, but they’re also good for you.  These small vegetables are high in fiber, vitamins A and C, have more iron than most vegetables, and are rich in antioxidants, calcium, potassium, phosphorus and folic acid.

Use beet greens in salads and roast, and cook or juice the colorful roots. Change things up with yellow and gold beets like Touchstone Gold. Its vibrant orange-red exterior and golden center will add something special to any dish. Entice those reluctant to eat beets to the table with All-America Selections winner Avalanche. The snow-white root has all the sweet flavor of the beet without any bitterness or earthy flavor that may have discouraged them in the past.

Visit NGB’s website (ngb.org) for creative ideas for adding beets to your meals.

Melinda Myers (melindamyers.com) wrote this article. She is a gardening expert and author.