The food lab better home cooking through science ( PDFDrive ) 984

wereexposedtothecannedvarietyasakid.Thosearenot
easy to like. A freshly roasted beet, on the other hand, is
something quite different. Sweet as candy, rich and earthy,
withagreatsorta-soft-sorta-crisptexture,they’reoneofmy
favorite vegetables. I make one or another form of beet
saladafewtimesayear,andthesetwoareamongmywife’s
favorites.Justlikeher,theyarepretty,colorful,andbestat
roomtemperature.
Youcanboilbeets,buttheprocesswillrobthemofflavor
(noticehowpinkthatwatergets?—that’sflavorgoingright
downthedrain).I’vefoundthatthebestwaytocookthem
isintheoven,inanairtightfoilpouch.Theysteamasthey
cook,heatinguptheairinthepouch,whichallowsthemto
cook faster, with minimal moisture loss. Because you’re
usingadrycookingmethod,theybarelyloseanyjuicesor
flavor.Andthefoilpouchisagreatwaytoaddaromatics:a
few sprigs of thyme or rosemary, some black pepper and
olive oil, and perhaps some citrus zest.After roasting, they
are extremely easy to peel—their skins slip right off under
cool running water. To prevent staining your wooden
cutting board, line it with a sheet of plastic wrap before
workingwithbeets.


ROASTEDBEETAND
CITRUSSALAD
WITHPINENUTVINAIGRETTE
Beets and citrus are a classic combination, and, luckily,
they’re in season together. This salad combines
grapefruit, orange, roasted beets, rosemary, and bit of
arugula for some peppery kick (you can use whatever

herborsaladgreenyouprefer).Ilikenutswithmybeets,
andpinenutsfitthebilljustfine.Avinaigrettemadewith
sherryvinegar,shallots,walnutoil,andatouchofagave
nectarsweetensthewholething.