Beets are one of those vegetables that we don’t seem to have often enough, for me anyway and I’m not sure why. They are absolutely delicious, simple to cook, and good for you. Also, when you happen upon rainbow-colored beets at the farmer’s market, you should grab them and treat yourself to one of the prettiest vegetables, ever. They go perfectly with almost anything and any leftovers, you can use to make a yummy beet salad.
INGREDIENTS
yellow/orange/red beets
traditional purple beets
3-4 Tbs. olive oil
several thyme and rosemary sprigs
kosher salt
fresh ground pepper
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400º
First, wash the beets and cut off the ends. Next, take a sheet of tin foil and place each color beet onto the foil. Then, sprinkle each with a little olive oil, salt, pepper and toss the thyme and rosemary sprigs over the beets. Wrap the packages, place them on a sheet pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes.
At about the 35-minute mark, take out one package, unwrap it, and stick a knife in one of the beets, to make sure it is tender. The knife should easily pierce the beet, this is similar to checking potatoes for doneness. When tender, remove from the oven and set aside, to cool for a bit. Then, when the beets are cool enough to handle, you can peel them. You can use a pairing knife, but I find using a dry paper towel and rubbing the skin off is much more efficient and your hands don’t get as discolored. Sometimes I actually peel them before cooking, but lately, I find doing it after cooking them saves time. Either way is fine. Once you have peeled the beets, cut them into 1/4″ to 1/2″ slices. I like to put them on a bed of arugula, to show off their colors. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve.
Alternatively, I will often add some crumbled goat cheese, toasted walnuts, and a simple vinaigrette over everything. You could also just quarter the beets and place them in a serving bowl with a drizzle of olive oil, some salt, and pepper.
