Beets have been appearing in our weekly organic CSA box for at least a month now.  And though I was my father’s daughter for many years, I can say I have truly grown to love beets.  My favorites are the golden and other heirloom varieties – their flavors are more unique and often have less punch.  This past week we had a lovely bunch of  chioggia beets, which are an heirloom variety from Italy.  This picture shows the beets after they were roasted, peeled and sliced.  I learned later (today in fact! ) that if we had sliced them horizontally vs. vertically as we did, that they would have had a ringed effect: alternating white and reddish rings.  How beautiful!

So even if you aren’t naturally a beet lover, give one of the softer varieties a try.  You might like them!

Easy preparation for all types of beets:

• remove green tops from beets, wash well.
• Pre-heat oven to 375, use convection if you have it.
• Place the washed beets in a pan with about 1-inch of water.  Cover tightly.
• Cook for about 45 minutes (may take longer, don’t fret if so), until a knife can be inserted easily, but you don’t want mushy beets.
• Remove from heat but leave covered for 30-minutes, then use a paper towel to rub off the skin easily.  If you don’t want to wait (and who does!?), let them cool a touch then use a small paring knife to remove the skin.  Some varieties peel very easily while others are a bit more finicky.
• And use gloves if you are peeling or working with red beets – otherwise you will dye your hands pink!