“Mom, can you tell that story about the beets?”

“...you mean, how we cut up beets yesterday?”

From Benson’s enthusiastic yes!, you might think there was a lot more to it, but that could have summed it up right there. Rather than being a well-worn tale passed down through generations, this “story” was just something we did a day ago; no rising action, conflict, climax, or resolution like a normal story arc, not even any obvious plotline or point of interest. We cut up beets.

But my five-year-old’s innocent appreciation for and designation of the task as a story is so sweet and indicative of what can connect with our souls.

First, sometimes the best, most memorable parts of life are the simplest and least dramatic. There may not be much story to tell, but depth isn’t limited by words. I think of some of my sweetest childhood memories and most valuable bits of life I want to pass on to my children, and a mere sentence could cover the basic description. Clambering as high as I could in our best climbing trees under a southern sun; playing Skip-bo with my grandparents in their cozy dining room; the way Silas drapes across my lap in a deep slumber while I type these very words.

Second, there may also be far more story than is immediately apparent. Perhaps there were more components in the path of “the beet story”; let’s see if I can tell more of it.

Once upon a time, I was catering a field school lunch for 75 people. Because local beets were an option, I had decided to make a refreshing salad to go alongside the lamb curry and buttery squash. I knew from past experience that they usually had hearty appetites, so I ordered a bushel of beets. Turns out 50-60 pounds of beets is a lot.

Roasted beets are my absolute favorite, but I was not about to dice that many hard beets or have pans rotating in and out of the oven for hours. Here is the rising action component: so I pressure-cooked them, though I’ve never done that nor could I find any specific guidelines for doing so.

And then after sorting the beets by size/cooking time, I forgot which of the two identical pressure cookers was which — enter the conflict! This also enhanced the climactic moment of truth when I finally opened the cookers. After hearing them hiss and hum for so long, in their metal cloak of secrecy, we discovered…I guessed right, and both pots of beets were cooked perfectly.

This is when Benson actually entered the story, along with Kiah and my mom who was visiting for a couple days. Because a thousand red-stainy steaming-hot beets is the perfect thing for small children to get involved with, they pulled up their stepstools and pulled on their gloves (perhaps more conflict component of the story?). So there the four of us were, peeling and cutting up beets. We told stories ourselves as we created a story in the moment, amidst the mountain of beets.

I suppose the resolution came when we finished them all, doused them in dressing, and shoved the four-gallon bucket into the fridge, awaiting the next day when I would add the finishing touches and serve them.

Some of the beets were not perfectly peeled or evenly cut, thanks to my little helpers, but I thought it was totally worth it to have my kids involved, and apparently Benson thought so too. What a good story after all.

Chilled Beet & Basil Salad

You don’t have to make this by the bushel to make it a party; in fact, I recommend smaller batches. Now is the right time to make it if you can get fresh beets, especially if you can snag some homegrown basil before it freezes soon. It was remarkably easy and satisfying to peel the pressure-cooked beets, and barely even stained our cutting boards. This salad is best the day after, so the beets can marinate in the dressing.

Prep tips: gloves kept our fingers from staining, but you can also wear your caught-red-handed fingers with pride if you want a good reason to tell your own beet story.

• a couple pounds of beets, scrubbed
• ¼ cup apple cider
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• salt and pepper
• 1 cup crumbled feta
• a good handful of fresh basil

Pressure cook the beets at 15 pounds pressure for stovetop (or on high for instant pot) for 15-25 minutes, depending on size; natural release pressure. Hopefully they will be fork-tender by the time you check them, but if not, you can always cook them some more. Let cool a bit so you can handle them, then rub off the skin and cut into chunks. Meanwhile, shake up the cider, syrup, oil, and vinegar; then pour over the beets, and season with salt and pepper. Chill, and stir in feta and basil just before serving.

Lettuce Eat Local is a weekly local foods column by Amanda Miller, who lives in rural Reno County on the family dairy farm with her husband and three small children. She seeks to help build connections through food with her community, the earth, and the God who created it all. Send feedback and recipe ideas to hyperpeanutbutter@gmail.com.