Side dishes. The forgotten ugly step-sister of your main entrée feature and for the most part, a quickly thrown together afterthought to round out the meal. In my youth, during the barren winter months, this would be a variation on a frozen vegetable theme. French cut beans, corn niblets, peas; zap it for 2 minutes, throw in some butter and voila! Side dish!
Now that I have grown some culinary….uh, intuition, I find that I concentrate on my side dishes much more. The side dish could, in fact, be the star of your meal. A quick soup, thrown together with pantry ingredients, but accompanied by a homemade bread slathered in garlic butter? Please pass the bread. A fine roast of beef, with a lovely gravy served along side a devilish pile of potatoes au gratin? Please pass the potatoes.
You get the idea.
But Beets may not be everyone’s idea of a perfect side dish, and I couldn’t have agreed more until a few years ago. My thoughts were that beets were grown in the ground, and that’s where they should stay. Having had my fair share of pickled beets and borscht as a child, I was not a born fanatic. Besides their lovely colours and variations, I could go forever without eating them. Sadly, my partner in life didn’t feel the same way. He liked beets, pickled even!
And so it was that I came to buy some lovely fresh, deep crimson coloured beets one year, in desperation of finding a new and healthy side dish I could love. I decided that nothing can taste bad when it is accompanied by garlic and rosemary and caramelized in a very hot oven. How right I was. This has now become a regular staple in the winter and late summer for us, as I could eat the whole dish myself.
I’m a changed woman friends! I no longer shun the little dirty buggers, even those ones swimming in brine at the back of my fridge.
Rosemary Roasted Beets
5 Large beets, tops removed (reserve for another meal!)
4 small sprigs fresh rosemary, minced
2-3 cloves garlic, sliced thin
1-2 tbsp canola oil
salt & pepper
1. Preheat your oven to 400°F.
2.Peel the beets. I do this in the sink, with water running slightly. This helps to keep staining of your hands and cutting boards to a minimum. You could also fill the sink and do it under the water. Some people leave the skins on…
3. Cut beets into wedges (each beet should make 8 wedges).
4. In a large bowl, add beet wedges, minced rosemary and sliced garlic. Grind in some fresh salt and pepper and toss to coat.
5. Place in a shallow baking dish and cover. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes.
6. Uncover and bake for another 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand for a few minutes before serving.
I love me some beets! But family does not feel the same. Maybe these will change their thinking too.
This I love!!! Simple and superb… I just adore beets and love the touch of rosemary here. Thank you for a fabulous recipe!
.-= viviane bauquet farre / food & style´s last blog ..Poached eggs with shiitake mushrooms, wilted arugula and white truffle cream =-.
I’m the only one in my circle of friends who likes beets – pickled, borscht, juiced… you name it, but i’ve never had them roasted! Yum, thanks for this great recipe 🙂
.-= Kitchen Monki Dan´s last blog ..Caldo Verde =-.
I thought I didn’t like beets – of course, the only way I’d had them growing up was canned or the cold variety found in the salad bars. I then tried roasted beets, and fell in love. Sweet, slightly caramelized, and so delicious! This sounds perfect – what can’t be good with a bit of rosemary on it?
This looks so beautiful!! And I bet it tastes even better!
.-= Nora@LiveLifeEatRight´s last blog ..Go Greek!! =-.
I used to be a former beet-hater, too. But now I could eat this whole thing as a main dish! Yum!
.-= Kat´s last blog ..Stuffed Pepper and Onion Sandwich =-.
I am not at all fond of beets but your picture is fabulous.
“But Beets may not be everyone’s idea of a perfect side dish, and I couldn’t have agreed more until a few years ago.”
For shame! Oh how I love beets. Sliced thin, brushed with olive oil, sprinkled with coarse salt, and grilled? HEAVEN I tell you, HEAVEN!
But I was also the only six year old in a five state radius who absolutely loved both lima beans, and brussel sprouts.
This dish looks to die for. And the pictures are gorgeous as always.
.-= Christina (cmariewt)´s last blog ..Rugelach with mom =-.
Ha ha, thanks for the laugh! I was just not exposed to enough good food as a child. I was a child of “America Cooks” and the “Best of Bridge Cookbooks”….
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I love beets in any form, and this recipe sounds delish. I might be one of those who leave the skins on… TBD, once I have a look at the skins. Question for me is: why on earth did I get rid of that heavy Le Creuset Dutch oven?
Got rid of it! WHY????
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Just put the beets in the oven…cannot wait! Bought two heirloom varities…tossed with olive oil, rosemary, and the stems from garlic tips…soo looking forward to the smell from the oven. My family doesn’t like them, but I do..so…celebrating my love of roasted beets. Thanks for the recipe.
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The rosemary beets looks so good i crave for it right now thank you for sharing the recipe
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My 17 year old son found this recipe. The beets just came out of the garden, scrubbed, seasoned and slid into the oven. Can’t wait!
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Fantastic!!! Roasted them last night and everyone loved them.
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