Beets!

Recently I decided to harvest all of the beets growing in my garden.  I had been holding out because some of them still looked pretty small, but they hadn't really increased in size in about a month so I just pulled them all.

A lot of people don't like beets, but I grew up eating them with my grandmother and have always loved them.  They're also extremely good for you.

I had hoped to have enough to make a couple of jars of pickled beets but because it was a pretty small yield, I took another route and made a simple roasted beet salad instead.

Roasted Beet Salad with Balsamic and Goat Cheese
Any quantity of fresh beets
Goat Cheese
Balsamic Vinegar
Aluminum Foil
French Baguette 
Olive Oil


Heat the oven to 400 degrees.  Cut greens off the beets, leaving about 1/2 inch of the stems attached.  Greens can be lightly sauteed or used in a cold salad.  Wash the beets, but don't spend much time scrubbing as the skins will be removed after cooking.  Trim any stringy roots from the bottoms.

Once beets are washed and roots are removed, group them by size.  Using aluminum foil, create packets for each grouping by placing beets in the center of one piece of foil, topping with another, and folding up edges.

Place packets directly on the oven rack to roast.  Beets are ready when they can be pierced with a fork with no resistance.  This usually takes about an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes, depending on the sizes of the beets.  Obviously, smaller beets will cook faster, so check often.  While the beets are roasting, slice the baguette into 1/2 inch thick slices. 

When the beets are done, remove the packets from the oven.  Switch the oven to broil if you plan to use the it to toast the bread.  Be careful opening the packets as steam will escape. Allow beets to cool until they are tolerable to touch.  Gently slip the skins and stems off the beets by holding them in your palm and lightly rubbing them with a kitchen rag or paper towels.

Beets can be refrigerated whole to cool down or sliced immediately if you want to use them warm.  Place sliced beets in a bowl and toss with balsamic vinegar to taste. Crumble goat cheese using a fork in another small bowl.  The amount needed will depend on how many beets are being used. 

Lay beets on a plate and top with goat cheese crumbles.  Set aside.  Place baguette slices on a cookie sheet and lightly brush with olive oil.  Place under broiler, monitoring closely until bread is toasted.  Remove toasts from oven, place on a plate, and top with the beet salad.