Roasted Beets

For years, I refused to eat beets.  Not because I knew what they tasted like, but because the concept, the word–“beeeeets”–seemed so unlike anything I would want to put in my mouth.  In the word of Jim Halper from The Office: 

“Beets, Bears, Battlestar Gallactica!”

For those of us familiar with the sweet root’s pop culture reputation, beets are a point of humor if not for the way they look and appear, but for the way they sound: “beets.”

Pictured: Ripe red seasonal beets plate beautiful in a stark white bowl or server.  Bring attention to the root’s natural redness by pairing the dish with a like-colored tablecloth.

But the truth is, I love beets regardless of how they resonate on our tongues and in our imaginations.  When roasted in a simple combination of olive oil and coarse salt, farm fresh beets make for wonderful sides and salad toppers.  Plus, they’re a natural power root too: filled with potassium, folate, and even vitamin C, beets are one of the easiest ways to add vitamins to a meat-less diet.

Pictured: Beautiful Beets at the Red Stick Farmer’s Market in Baton Rouge (Photo Courtesy of Jon Barry).

So, the next time you’re looking for an easy healthy side with just a touch of humor associated with it, I suggest the addition of these easy roasted beets at your dinner table.  For those willing to eat them, natural flavor will keep their forks full.  And for those willing to poke a little fun at them, well, there will certainly be plenty of conversation to go around.  Just start off with the word, “beets.”

Roasted Beets

Ingredients:

*1 bunch fresh beets

*olive oil, to taste

*coarse salt, to taste

1.) Preheat oven to 400F.  Wash beets down scrubbing with a vegetable scrubber or a good quality paper towel to remove dirt.  Pat dry and snip off leaves and root tips.

2.) Lay beets on baking dish and toss with olive oil and coarse salt to taste.  Roast for 1 hour or until tender when pricked with a fork.  Remove from oven, peel, quarter, and sprinkle with more coarse salt and pepper.*

*Cook’s Note: if using beets of various sizes, cooking times will vary.  Check all beets for levels of tenderness and remove any beets that are done from the oven.  Keep uncooked beets that still require roasting time in oven until tender to a fork.  In most cases, you will only need an extra 10-15 minutes, but use the fork technique to ensure levels of doneness.

Makes 3 servings.

–Helana Brigman

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