Salt & Straw

Beets in ice cream? Don't knock it until you try it. The "Top of the Beet" flavor currently being offered by Salt & Straw in their L.A.-area shops, is one of the flavors created with the intention of repurposing food that might otherwise be wasted. Beet greens are collected from local farmers on their way to the markets and are then cooked down into a jam with lemon and sherry vinegar. It's then added to a sweet, crunchy brittle and folded into a lightly spiced salt and pepper ice cream. The results are not only memorable but a delight to the palate. No, really. And if you don't believe me, there are plenty of more traditional flavors (Double Vanilla, Freckled Woodblock Chocolate) from which to choose.