Beets: I must admit, I am still getting to know my way around them.  Maybe we never had them growing up because they can stain everything in sight, or possibly because they aren’t always particularly delicious.  Raw beets are dirty and require lots of handling to prepare.  Still, I am warming up to beets.  They are too good for you to ignore, even cooked, and they can be tasty too.

Until a few weeks ago, I’d never had charred beets.  My eyes were opened to this preparation (recipe is too strong a word here, you’ll see what I mean) a few weeks ago when my aunt served them with dinner, and I can safely say charring is the way to go with beets.  They have a sweet/savory depth of flavor that actually makes them craveable.  Plus they are *super* easy to make, there is no chopping involved.

We had them with fish, but charred beets would be a great side with almost anything this time of year.

Ingredients:

– As many beets as you’d like to serve

– 1 – 1/2 Tsp Olive Oil per beet

– Salt and Pepper

Steps:

– Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F

– Peel the beets with a vegetable peeler.  Handling beets will stain your hands some, simply wear gloves if you’d prefer to avoid this.

– Place the beets in a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil.  Toss to coat.

– Add salt and pepper to your taste (do use at least a little salt).

– Place on a roasting sheet, leaving ample space around each beet.

– Roast at 350 F for 40 minutes, then, turn the heat up to 400.

– Roast for another 20-30 minutes, checking in at the 20 mark.

Serve hot from the oven or reheat at 250 for 15 minutes.  If making ahead, allow to cool completely before storing.