Beet it!

I am absolutely in love with beets. If there are beets on the menu, odds are I'll order them. There is something about their color, texture, and taste that's just perfect! Look how red they are! And how sweet but still subtle!

That said, beets are ridiculously annoying to cook... or at least I thought. They look so intimidating raw. Covered with a tough, dirty outer shell and attached to some long sprouts, I usually steer clear of them in the produce aisle, opting for pre-cooked options.

Today, I decided to take a chance and face my fear: I was going to cook some beets and I was going to like it!

I have to say the experiment was a roaring success. I decided on Martha's recipe for Warm Beet Salad with Parmesan Dressing. I bought five medium-sized beets, shoots and all, at my favorite local produce store. After a bit of scrubbing and chopping the shoots off, the beets were ready to go. With Martha's suggestion, I baked them in the oven in a foil-wrapped packet with plenty of thyme. They softened perfectly in less then an hour.

I served the delicious, warm beets (after peeling off the skin, which came off really easily), with a shallot, red wine vinegar, and olive oil mixture on a bed of watercress. The recipe was topped off with a parmesan and heavy cream sauce that I cooked on the stove with a bit of thyme.

This was absolutely, positively delicious. And I felt super fancy! I made beets! With watercress! And shallots! Such a great, healthy meal. I am extremely proud of myself, I must say.