How to Roast Beets

Another “simple is best” recipe!

I grew beets in the garden this year. They grow very easily and wait patiently in the ground until I want them. How could you ask for an easier vegetable to grow?!   If you grew them or if your beets came with greens from the store, remove all but an inch of the greens. (Cook those up as per your favorite greens recipe, sauteed in oil with garlic and lemon juice maybe?)

Scrub the beets and cut off the long root if you need to.  (I’ve never seen them with roots attached at the store but they come from the ground with quite a root sometimes!)  Wrap the beets in foil and bake at 400 F  for about an hour, until soft.  They might leak a bit so I usually place them on a foil lined roasting pan just to make cleanup easier. Larger beets will take longer to cook so it helps if you have them all about the same size. But if not, just check the smaller ones first.

Open the foil and let the beets cool just a bit, then you can pull the skin right off and cut the tops.  If you don’t want to use them right away, just refrigerate.

Slice and lay on a plate, then top with a bit of sour cream and fresh chives.

Here’s what they look like from the garden before cooking:

Try them in dishes like:

• Harvard beets
• Pickled beets and beet greens

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