310: Baby Beets with Yogurt Sauce

Beets? I use beets all sorts of ways, but I almost always roast them first. I wrap them in foil, throw them in the oven, and when they’re soft, I peel the skin off – then the beets are ready to use.

So what about those cute, tiny beets at the farmers’ markets these days: how does one peel them?

The answer is, you don’t have to. They’re so young, and the skin is so thin (and surely nutritious), that you might as well skip that step.

Recipe 310 of 365: Roasted Baby Beets with Cilantro-Yogurt Sauce

Buy a couple bunches of beets, maybe a big red bunch and a little yellow bunch, none bigger than the size of a golf ball. Make sure they have bright, healthy-looking greens.

Cut the greens off about 1/2 inch away from the top of the beet, and saute the greens in olive oil and garlic, or use them for a salad. (Warning: If you keep them in your refrigerator, loose on the top shelf like I did, someone might say something like Jess, this is a refrigerator, not a compost bin.)

Scrub the beets well, and let them dry on a layer of paper towels for a few minutes.

Dump them into a baking dish, squirrelly tails and all, drizzle them with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and ground cumin. Roast at about 400 degrees until they’re completely soft when you poke them with a fork, about 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, make a yogurt sauce, really a sort of raita: spoon about 1/4 cup plain yogurt into a bowl, along with a tablespoon of chopped fresh cilantro, and season with salt, pepper, and more cumin. Stir.

When the beets come out, cut them in half lengthwise, holding them steady with tongs with one hand and cutting with the other. Pile the beets into a bowl, stir in the sauce, and serve warm.