Really they are. Some people may not have the taste for them or only think of the pickled kind you find on the salad bar, but beets really are great. Like all other root vegetables, they are fabulous roasted but raw they add color to any salad. They are sweet, earthy and crunchy. My favorite way to eat them cooked is roasted in some sort of salad. To eat them raw, I like to shred them like a carrot and add to a leafy green salad or slice into sticks and dip in ranch dressing. Most interesting way I have used them was probably for a red velvet cake my daughter requested for her birthday. The cake did not turn out the characteristic red, but thinking of adding a whole bottle of red food dye really creeped me out, so I juice a bunch of beets and used equal amounts beet juice to food coloring. It was pink and brown but tasted wonderful, without a hint of beet!
The juice stains so if you are getting ready to shred some beets, throw on an apron.
Roasted Beet Salad
To roast beets:
Heat oven to 450 degrees.
Place beets on baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and tbs water. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Cover with foil. Roast until tender, 25-30 min. Allow to cool to room temp.
For salad:
4 roasted beets, peeled and cut into eighths
1/2 small goat cheese log, crumbled
1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced
4 handfuls spinach leaves, washed and stems removed
Spread spinach out on a platter. Top with rest of ingredients. Dress with balsamic vinaigrette or a lemon vinaigrette.
Balsamic Vinaigrette
Whisk together 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, 1 tbs dijon mustard, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp freshly ground pepper, and a pinch of sugar. Slowly add while whisking, 1/2 to 3/4 cup olive oil until creamy.
For lemon vinaigrette, replace balsamic vinegar with equal amount fresh squeezed lemon juice.
