I have become a huge fan of beets as of late.  It wasn’t that I hated them before, they just weren’t one of my favorite foods.  I think you know by now how this story continues but I will share anyway…  We started getting beets in our CSA box and I had no idea what to do with them.  I did some research online and found a plethora of ways to make beets!

Usually I just steam them, cut them up, mix them with some fresh lettuce and goat cheese and call it a day.  However, a came across some recipes online for pickled beets so I decided to try a variation of these recipes.  After all, I am a huge fan of traditional pickles as well as other pickled veggies.  Check out Happy Girl Kitchen Co.  if you’re at the San Francisco Ferry Building Farmers Market during the summer.  They also make an amazing lavender lemonade!

Speaking of the farmer’s market, I stopped by on a Tuesday at during my lunch and saw some gorgeous beets.  They were each about the size of a softball!  Though I didn’t really need the beets I bought a bunch.  After all, they were huge, cheap, local, organic and both the boyfriend and I really like them.  You will notice that these beets in particular have a gorgeous color.

The recipe I’m going to share with you is basic and can and should be tried with variations.  I will say that I loved the beets just as they were.  I decided to use white wine vinegar as opposed to a stronger vinegar (like cider) so I wouldn’t  quite qualify my beets as pickled, but they were very tasty.  They are a perfect addition to a salad but I enjoyed them by themselves!

I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.  Please share your variations or any other beet recipes you love.  You can count on the fact that I will try your recipes since I love beets so much!

Here is the recipe:

1 bunch beets

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1 tsp sugar

1 tbsp good quality olive oil

1/2 tsp dry mustard

Salt and pepper

Pre-heat over to 400 degrees.  Remove beet greens (you can keep them for another use – I know some people cook them and love them but I have yet to try that) leaving about 1 inch of the stem at the top.  Wash excess dirt off of the beets.  Fill a small to medium casserole dish with about 1/2 inch of water and place beets in water.  Cover the casserole dish tightly with tin foil.  Bake about one hour.  Remove from over after about 45 minutes and test with fork.  Should be fork tender.  Once fork tender remove from oven.

While beets are in oven mix vinegar, oil, sugar and dry mustard.  The dry mustard will help emulsify the oil and vinegar as well as give it added flavor.

Let beets cool until they are room temperature.  Peel beets (preferrably using gloves).  Peel should come off easily.  Cut beets into bite-sized pieces.  Pour oil and vinegar mixture over beets.  Sprinkle with salt and peper to taste.  Marinate for a few hours and up to a few days.  Enjoy!