Lately I’ve found a whole new appreciation for roasted beets. They are really good and subtly sweet, which covers up the earthy flavor I often associate with beets.

I got some large beets from Ollin Farms in my CSA, smiled, and decided they were perfect for roasting. To roast beets- wash them well, drizzle a little olive oil on top, put them in an oven safe dish or wrap them in foil, and bake at 375 for 30-60 minutes, depending on the size of the beets. Mine here took a full hour.

When cool enough to touch, remove the skin. It should peel off very easily. I sliced my beets and served them with fresh raspberries, chives, and a little champagne vinegar.

Enjoy.

Scarlet Queen Turnips were in the CSA share, and I really had no plan for them. I tucked them in the fridge and didn’t pay attention to them until I decided to make a potato salad. Turnips go well with potatoes because they have a similarly smooth texture, add a little variety, and lighten some bites since you’ll get mouthfuls that are not all potato.

For this potato salad, I boiled 10 small Yukon Gold potatoes and 6 large Scarlet Queen Turnips until easily pierced by a fork. I drained them and gave them a rinsing in cold water to stop them from cooking.

When cool to touch, I quartered them, transferred them to a large mixing bowl, and dressed them with:

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup honey
• 4 TB apple cider vinegar
• 2 TB Worcestershire
• 2-3 TB German mustard
• fresh ground black pepper

Roasting beets really makes them taste better. If you think you hate beets, try roasting a few, and then decide. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Roasting beets is simple. I prefer smaller beets because they take less time to roast. Preheat the oven to 375. Wash the beets and cut off the long root-tail if they have one, just to make them all basically round.

Drizzle them in olive oil, wrap them in foil, and roast for 30-60 minutes, depending on the size of the beet.

Remove them from the oven when they are completely softened and let them cool. When you can touch them, remove the skin, slice them, and enjoy. I made a salad with Haystack Mountain Goat Dairy’s Boulder Chevre, a little olive oil, champaign vinegar, and freshly chopped chives.