Originally published on July 23, 2014
Take any vegetable, boil it for a good 45 minutes, and when you remove it from the water you’re pretty much guaranteed that it’s going to be flavourless and completely boring, right? Well, that might be true for most vegetables, but when you’re talking about beets, it’s a whole other story. Especially when you (once again) skip the grocery store and head to a Farmers’ Market to get them. Trust me, it will be well worth any extra effort you took to get there once you’re sitting around your table with the most delicious produce you’ll find, and we can only do it for a couple more months before we’re back to depending on the big chains. So, we may as well take advantage now.
But oh yes, back to the beets. Once you take them out of the piping hot water, take a slice off one and just try it. You will have never had anything so delicious, so tender, and so sweet! I’ve had beets before but I couldn’t believe the sweetness of these particular beets! You could serve them just like that, and they’d be a perfectly beautiful side to any meal, or you can use just a few ingredients to jazz them up a little bit. Either way, these are really, really good.
Ingredients:
6 medium-sized beets
3 cloves garlic, whole and peeled
1 green onion, chopped (I used the green and the white)
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Directions:
1.) Place the beets and the garlic cloves in a pot and cover with water. Place them on the stove over high heat and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a low boil, and cook for approximately 45 minutes, until the beets are tender. Remove the garlic and the beets to a plate and allow to cool slightly.
2.) Once the beets have cooled enough that you can handle them, slip their skins off (this will be very easy to do once they have been cooked.) Slice the beets in about 1/4″ to 1/2″ slices and place them in a serving bowl. Chop boiled garlic and add that to the beets, along with the green onion, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss, taste, and adjust seasoning if necessary.
3.) Serve and enjoy!