A rainy afternoon lunch

Roasted beet salad
I did not like beets the first, second, and possibly even the third times I ate them. It seemed like I should like beets, because they are beautiful and healthy. But, blech. They seemed slimy and tasted like dirt. So when I was present at a dinner where my cousin had planned a beet salad, I felt a bit of dread about having to eat it. Well. Roasted beets are an altogether different species than what you'd find in a salad bar or in a can. They still smell and taste a little like dirt, but in a good way--they smell like the earth, especially as they roast. Heavenly. Or, earthly.



I roasted beets a few days ago, using my cousin's method. She wraps a few in foil with a little bit of water, then roasts them in her toaster oven. A few small beets can take about an hour. I had four larger ones that took about an hour and a half in a regular oven. Supposedly, if you roast them with the roots and stems in tact, then cut the roots and stems off after cooling a bit, you can just rub the skin right off. I have not yet been able to accomplish this successfully though so I just peel them with a pairing knife. (Update: I did it! I think the key is you can't let it cool completely.) They stain everything in sight so I suggest any cutting is done on a regular plate rather than a cutting board, and that you wash your hands right away (or wear gloves).


I took a few chunks of those beets and topped them with goat cheese, red onion, walnuts and cranberries, then parsley for color, and a simple vinagrette of dijon, champagne vinegar and olive oil. It was a bright and flavorful lunch, a nice remedy for a dreary Saturday afternoon.