This is the first recipe of the grand Beet Challenge I started at the end of January. My thanks go out to Honor for contributing the first recipe!

Sadly, I am not willing to declare a reckless love affair with beets, even though these are without question the most palatable beets I have had.

You see, they’re still… beets.

I don’t know exactly what we were expecting. Perhaps we were secretly hoping for a magic bullet recipe, something that would cause us to jump from the dinner table in sheer exultation for everything beety. I suppose this recipe is a success since we were not only able to try it, but take multiple bites–a huge victory for us. Still, we’re not quite ready to buy out the the local store of all its beets to make up for years of lost time appreciating them. I guess this will be a slow process.

Roasted Beets with Orange Dressing From Honor
Serves two to three people who like beets

1 bunch of medium beets, with stems trimmed

Dressing
2 Tbs Orange Juice
1 Tbs Balsamic Vinegar
1 tsp Dijon Mustard
1 Tbs Fresh Herbs, dill & tarragon work well (I used dill)
1 Medium Shallot, minced
1/2 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400F. Wrap beets in foil, place on baking sheet and roast until tender, one hour or so. I wrapped each beet up individually. I’m not sure if that’s what she meant, but it worked great.

Meanwhile, make the dressing by whisking together all ingredients but olive oil. Slowly drizzle in oil while whisking. I left out the shallot. One food challenge at a time for me.

Use a paper towel to remove skins from warm beets by rubbing gently. Slice beets into 1/4 in. slices and toss in dressing. Serve room temp. or chilled. I cut the beets very small, because I thought smaller pieces would be friendlier! Thankfully I remembered to cut them on a glass cutting board to prevent staining to the bamboo cutting boards I usually use. I’d also wear gloves, unless you want pink hands!