roast beets, from the garden

I never knew how rewarding growing your own food could be until we planted our first garden last November. The golden beets from our winter planting are in their prime right now.

It's incredible how much food can be supplied from this tiny garden and it made me a firm believer that everyone should be planting something, be it herbs and lettuce in a couple of containers on your balcony or a 10 by 20 plot in the backyard full of vegetables. If you don't have a garden to enjoy, I highly suggest planting one. If you don't have the space to do so, look into joining your local community garden... that's what we did and it's improved our lives immensely.

to the beets....

My favorite way to prepare beets is simply roasting them in the oven.

Preheat oven to 350.
Trim the greens off the beets and save to saute later.
Clean the beets, leaving their skins on, toss them in olive oil, salt, pepper and place them in a cast iron skillet and cover with foil, or create a foil packet and wrap them in it.

Pop em in the oven for about 45 minutes.
Check if they are done by inserting a thin knife into the thickest part of the beet. If it slides in easily, then they are ready to come out. If the beet feels a little firm, then put them back in the over for another 15 minutes or so.
Cool slightly and remove skins.
Slice them into wedges or rounds and toss them in a salad.
It's a good idea to roast a bunch at once, then they can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days and are ready to use whenever....without the wait of roasting time.


They are really good with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, thinly sliced red onion and parm or goat cheese.


If you can't grow your own garden then please support your local farmers.