In Praise of Beets

What is more perfect than a beet?

Easy to grow, inexpensive to purchase, they are available year round. A beet is humble. It arrives from the garden caked in dust and dirt, pitted in some places, with warts in others, and unlovely hairs protruding from it. Even well-scrubbed, its potential is still masked by a rough, dull skin. What is this jewel in the rough?

Sugar, primarily. An alphabet of vitamins and minerals. Disease-fighting phtyochemicals.

To enjoy a roasted beet is to savor the waiting. Pour a glass of wine. Or two. The process by which a beet reveals its brilliance can’t be rushed.

To bring a beet to its full potential requires nothing more than a square of foil, a sprinkle of salt, a drizzle of olive oil and a hot oven. You can’t ruin a beet. The simplicity of its preparation only adds to its beauty. Slip the foil packets into the oven and wait. They can sit alongside a roast or a chicken or a simmering stew. You don’t even need to open the foil to check them for tenderness. Just poke them through the foil with a fork now and again until the tines slip in easily. Once cool enough to handle, slip the skins off with a nudge from a paring knife.

Now, behold! Orbs of deep, regal amethyst. Topaz. Ruby red. The delightful pink and white candy stripes of the heirloom Chioggia variety. Sweet and toothsome, they are at once familiar and beyond description.

They’re best with almost no embellishment. Salt, fresh cracked pepper. Perhaps a shower of orange zest, a few drops of infused olive oil, or a sprinkle of good balsamic vinegar. You can eat them warm or cold. They keep in the refrigerator for days, ready to be sliced into a salad, or to provide some welcome color as a side dish to a winter’s meal.

Sweet, gorgeous, down-to-earth and good for you. What’s not to love?

To make roasted beets, place a couple of small, or one large beet on a square of foil, large enough to encase the beets loosely. Drizzle with olive oil and a pinch of salt, and seal the packet well. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 350-400 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until just tender when pierced (through the foil) with a fork. Let the beets cool in their packets, then unwrap and peel off the skin with your fingers or a paring knife.