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.

Here are some chopped snow peas tossed in a little toasted sesame oil, juice from 1/2 lime, a splash of soy sauce, and chopped green onion.

Fresh picked organic beans, home grown and canned. Here I drizzled a little walnut oil, champagne vinegar, sea salt, and pepper. Simple. Good.

Maple Curried Pecans, sweet Oregon pears, and curried croutons make this arugula salad one of my favorites.

There is a link to my Maple Curried Pecans for that recipe. For the croutons, I cubed 2 cups of some fresh italian bread and pan fried it on medium high in 1/4 cup olive oil and 2 TB Vietnamese Sweet Lemon Curry, 1/2 TB garlic powder, and 1/2 TB onion powder from Savory Spice Shop. After a few minutes, lower the heat to medium and stir somewhat frequently so they don’t burn. They should be done if 15 minutes or so, depending on how crunchy you like them.

For a dressing, I whisked a little maple syrup, walnut oil, and cider vinegar for a simple and sweet balance to the bitter arugula. Enjoy.