BaltimOregon

There’s nothing like fresh, early summer beets. Choose beets with vibrant green tops that sweeten when sauteed with garlic and olive oil. And when beets are fresh, a simple presentation as best. I recommend roasting them.

Make a aluminum foil packet for your beets and some whole cloves of garlic, enclose it and roast them at 400 degrees for 45-90 minutes, depending on the beet size. The red stalks between the root and greens are also sweet when roasted (but careful they burn and char easily). Meanwhile, clean and sautee your vivid beet greens. When the beets can be easily pierced with a fork, they’re done. Run them under cold water and slip off their skins. Mash the roasted garlic and whisk it with balsamic vinegar and honey to taste. Pour that dressing over your sliced beets and seve them on top of the greens. Top the beets with a sharp, soft cheese: chevre, a creamy blue cheese or feta work best. Garnish with dill or a bit of mint. Improvise, as I did, adding minced ginger the other day.

The mild, almost cottage cheese-like Israeli feta we tried on beets the other day was a winning accent. Have you tried it?

Israeli feta

So dig into your beets. And once you do, just remember: no, that isn’t blood in your stool.