Beets with Garlic and Walnut Sauce

We have gorgeous big beets from Johnson's Backyard Garden in the market right now. Both golden beets and chioggia beets (pink outside with white and pink stripes on the inside) are heirloom varieties that are a bit sweeter than your average red beet. They are great to cook for someone who says they don't like beets. I was once one of those people who stuck thier tongue out at the thought of beets, but the golden beet - roasted with a bit of fresh squeezed orange juice on top - opened my taste buds to the beet world beyond the canned pickled beets that I abhorred as a child.

This recipe from the New York Times is one of my favorite way to cook beets. It balances perfectly a savory earthy nuttiness in the garlic and the walnuts with a touch of sweetness in the beets and orange juice. Enjoy!

Beets With Garlic-Walnut Sauce

Published: February 27, 2009

Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

2 pounds red beets, about 4 large, trimmed of greens
1/4 cup olive oil
6 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 cup walnuts
2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
Salt and black pepper to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves, for garnish.

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash beets well. While still wet, wrap them individually in foil and place on a cookie sheet or roasting pan. Bake beets, undisturbed, for 60 to 90 minutes, until a thin-bladed knife pierces each with little resistance. (They may cook at different rates; remove each one when it is done.)

2. Meanwhile, put oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. When it is warm, add garlic and cook until fragrant and beginning to soften, about 6 minutes. Add walnuts and continue to cook until they begin to color, about another 4 minutes. Let mixture cool slightly and then put it in a small food processor; process until you have a relatively smooth paste. Add orange juice to taste and sprinkle with salt and lots of pepper.

3. After beets have cooled, peel off skins. Slice beets into wedges or cubes and toss with dressing. Taste and adjust seasoning, garnish with parsley and serve.

Yield: 4 servings.