Alright, so I decided to mess around with some beets, or ‘betabeles’ as some folks call ’em, the other day. Got a nice bunch from the market, looking all earthy and purple.
First thing, you gotta wash those things properly. They always seem to hold onto dirt like it’s gold. So, I got them under the tap and gave them a good scrub. Took a bit of elbow grease, but got most of the muck off.
Then I stood there thinking, what now? Could boil ’em, pickle ’em… nah. Decided roasting was the way to go. I usually like how they get kinda sweet and soft when you roast ’em.
Getting Stuck In
So, grabbed my cutting board – the old plastic one, because let’s be real, beet juice stains everything. Learned that the hard way before. Put on some gloves this time, trying to be smart. Trimmed off the tops and the rooty bits. Then started chopping them into chunks. Not too small, not too big. Even with gloves, that deep red color just kinda gets places.
Dumped all the chunks into a big bowl. Didn’t feel like getting fancy with seasonings. Just did my usual:
- Tossed in some olive oil, enough to coat them.
- Sprinkled a good amount of salt.
- Added some cracked black pepper.
Used my gloved hands to mix it all up, making sure every piece got some oil and seasoning. Simple stuff.
Into the Heat
Next, I spread them out on a baking tray. Tried to keep them in a single layer, give ’em space to roast properly instead of just steaming. Shoved the tray into the oven. Had it preheated to around, I dunno, maybe 400F? Somewhere around there.
Then it was just waiting. The kitchen started smelling earthy, kinda sweet. Went back after about 20 minutes, gave the tray a shake so they wouldn’t stick and maybe brown a bit more evenly.
Left them in for probably another 15 or 20 minutes. Hard to say exactly, I just kept an eye on them. Tested one piece with a fork – slid in easy. That’s the sign.
Pulled the tray out. They looked good – a bit darker, slightly shriveled, definitely cooked through. Let them sit for a few minutes because they were screaming hot.
Had a few right off the tray. Yeah, that hit the spot. Tender, sweet, just a bit of savory from the salt and pepper. Roasting definitely works for beets. Cleaning the bowl and board was still a bit of a pain, that color really hangs on. But yeah, good result overall. Simple food done right.
