Long time no see- seems I've got some catching up to do!
A while back I got my grubby mitts on some really good looking organic beets. I bought golden and your typical red sort. Gosh, I love beets. Especially pickled... but I digress. I remember my mom always boiling them in a big pot. Boooring! So I did some searching online to see what else I could do with them, and stumbled upon a suggestion to roast them in the oven in a foil packet. Genius! Roasted veg always seems to come out wonderfully sweet and slightly caramelized. So get you-
1 bunch of organic beets. (About 3-4 beets- I did 2 bunches above) The golden sort are slightly milder than their earthier brothers.
Olive Oil
Garlic Cloves
Sea Salt
Pepper
Fresh Herbs from your garden. I used Oregano and Marjoram.
Tin Foil
Cut the tops off your beets, but leave the root "tail" on. You can cook the beet greens, but mine were quite wilted by the time I got to them. Make sure you scrub these babies really well. I have a designated brush in the kitchen for my root veggies.
Start fashioning your tinfoil packet. Lay a sheet of tinfoil down with your beets in the center and slightly curl the edges up. Add in your garlic cloves. You can smash them slightly before hand, or leave them whole- it's up to you. Sprinkle over the salt, pepper, and fresh herbs. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat.
Seal up your packet, using a second sheet of foil to cover the top if needed. Plunk this in a preheated 425 degree oven until the beets are soft- about 45 minutes to an hour depending on the size. You may require additional cooking time if you've got some big boys cooking away.
Once these guys are fork tender, you can take them out of the oven and let them cool a bit. You are going to have to peel them, so make sure they're cool enough to handle. Some of my beets I could just use my hands and sort of slough the skins right off. A few of them I had to resort to using a small paring knife to get the job done. The juice will stain, so use a cutting board that you don't really care about. I cut the peeled beets into cubes for adding to salads and generally snacking on (also reserving the roasted garlic- SO GOOD.), but you could slice these thinly and serve with cottage cheese (my favorite!) or as a side with a little vinnaigrette, in a sandwich- whatever tickles your fancy.
Be warned- I've been guilty of eating so many beets that I've been (how to say this delicately?) surprised in the loo. Do not fear- you are not dying, and it's not armageddon. It's simply the natural pigment in the veg. They've dyed wool with the stuff for heaven's sake.
