Heller's Kitchen: Extreme Makeover

June 24, 2012

Extreme Makeover - Veggie Edition

I know I've written blog entries before about how beautiful fruits and veggies practically call to me from the grocery store aisles and farmer's market stands. I can tell you that I've NEVER had that experience with a beet. Let's be honest, the humble beet, in its raw form, is not the prettiest of vegetables. They're downright ugly. Even when prepared, beets are often gussied up in a way that's less than appealing. Think boiled beets, or those day-glow fuscia pickled beets that populate so many salad bars.

See what I mean? Not winning any beauty contests. We'll call this the "before" picture.

For many beet-enthusiasts, these preparations are perfectly satisfactory. But I, for one, think beets deserve a little makeover. And olive oil, sea salt, black pepper, and a 400 degree oven are the little black dress of the vegetable world: tasteful and always appropriate. Behold what this treatment (plus a little dried thyme) can do for a beet! These roasted beets are delicious right out of the oven and just as good cold. Lately I've been making a big batch after my weekly farmer's market trip and storing them in the fridge to eat on salads throughout the week. Let me tell you, arugula + roasted beets + candied walnuts + goat cheese + simple vinaigrette = a very well dressed salad ;o)

Roasted Beets with Thyme

6 medium beets

Olive oil

Sea salt

Cracked black pepper

1 tsp. dried thyme

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Peel and cut the beets into approximately 1 inch chunks.

Warning: everything the beets touch will look like this. Talk about being caught red-handed.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Arrange the beets on the baking sheet in a single layer. Douse the beets with the olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme. Seriously. Don't get stingy on the seasoning here.