Roasting Beets

First, wash and trim the roots clean of dirt. Expect a gush of red when you snip off the long, spindly top of the beet. Don’t trim the knobby base yet, except for stray hair-like wisps. For goodness’ sake, if your beets came with the leafy tops attached, save those for another use. Beet greens are one of the mildest and most nutritious leafy green to sautee with garlic, or whatever else — like spinach only better. (I once had a cringe attack when I saw a guy at the Greenmarket rip off the greens from the bunch of beets he’d just purchased and toss them into a garbage can.)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Then organize your beets into groups of similar sizes, and wrap them up in twos or threes in tin foil. If there are three or four very little beets, I might bundle them all together. Large beets are best wrapped one or two at a time. When you crumple the foil completely sealed, it locks so that the beets’ juices will steam inside once they’re released. The flavor and sugars in the beets become concentrated, caramelized juices will run onto the inside of the foil wraps; the whole kitchen may begin to smell of burning sugar, or marshmallows.
Keep in mind there is no exact time stamp on how long to roast them, since beets are all differently sized. It just takes a little experience to know how to do things right; this very beneficial in the case of roasting beets. Check after one hour of roasting at this temperature, removing the foil packages with tongs. When they’re just cool enough to touch, squeeze on each beet to see if the flesh gives a little. If it’s softened, but still somewhat firm, that’s the point I take them out of the oven to cool. How do you know when “somewhat firm” or “softened” is ultimately the right texture for you? By roasting beets yourself once or twice.


Now, unwrap your beets and let them cool off a good ten minutes. The beets’ flesh should have shrunken beneath the loose skins a bit. Trim off the base of each beet with a knife, then slip off the dull, black skin from the glistening orb. If it doesn’t peel away easily, it’s a good sign that your beet hasn’t been cooked enough. Throw it back in the oven for a bit longer, live, and learn.
This recipe is for a simple, chilled roasted beet salad with finely chopped celery and red onion that I made the other day. The other vegetables add a crisp bite and a squeeze of fresh lemon and drizzle of olive oil marries all the juices with a refreshing finish.
Now, eat your purples today!
Roasted Beet Salad with Celery, Onion and Fresh Lemon(makes 2-3 servings)
4 medium beets, roasted, peeled and sliced into wedges1 celery stalk, finely chopped1/4 cup red onion, finely choppedjuice of half a lemon1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oilsea salt and black pepper to taste
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and toss. Cover and chill 30 minutes before serving.