Beets may be boiled or roasted, but I think roasting, which takes much longer, gives them a deliciously intense flavor. It is best to buy small ones because they take less time to cook. Or, of course, you can buy them already cooked.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Cut the stems and leaves about 3/4 of an inch above the beets. To boil them, cook them in plenty of boiling salted water until tender—small ones will take about 30 minutes, larger ones about 1 1/2 hours. To roast them, put them on a sheet of foil on a baking sheet, cover them with foil, and roast in the oven at 400°F for 2 to 3 hours, depending on their size, until one feels tender when you cut right through with a pointed knife. You could cut them in half (lay them cut side down) and reduce the cooking time considerably.
Step 2
When cool enough to handle, peel and cut the beets into less than 1/2-inch-thick rounds or half-moon slices. Wear rubber gloves to avoid staining your hands.
Step 3
Beat the crushed garlic, if using, into the yogurt and spread the mixture on a serving plate. Arrange the beet slices on top. Beat the lemon juice with the oil and a little salt, stir in the chopped mint or parsley, and spoon over the beet slices.
variation
Step 4
A Lebanese version uses 1 1/2 tablespoons tahina (see page 7) beaten into the yogurt. This, too, is delicious.
