Special dedication for those who think they don’t like beets.
Thank goodness for cozy and relaxing autumn weekends. Last night we were up a little too late eating, drinking and chatting with friends so this morning was a lazy one. About noon, I finally changed out of my pajamas and went for a stroll in the neighborhood with Sunna. While walking around Toulouse in the beautiful October sunshine, I was reminded that we don’t always need to travel far to find interesting and beautiful things. I found a fantastic ‘marché aux puces‘ (flea market) and a used-book market. I found some amazing stuff for just a couple of euros. Like my Amma always said “one person’s junk, is another person’s treasure.”
Toulouse, centre ville
When we got home, I decided to the make my favorite beet recipe which is perfect for the autumn. It is warm, seasonal, and a perfect mix of sweet and salty. Not only is it absolutely delish but roasted beets contain vitamin A, potassium and loads of an antioxidant (neutralizing cancer promoting free-radicals) which gives beets their rich purple-red color.
If your skeptical about beets, trust me, you have got to try this recipe! When I was young there was nothing more un-appetizing than pickled or plain boiled beets. Then one day a few years back in Bellingham Washington I had beet revelation when I tried my first bite of these oven-roasted caramelized beets. It was pure deliciousness. Now this recipe travels with me everywhere.
Recipe (for four)
– 3 large beets
– 2 violet onions
– 2 cloves of garlic
-2 Tbs ghee (clarified butter) or olive oil
-1 Tbs brown sugar
-1 tsp sea-salt
Directions: First, pre-heat your oven to 175 Celsius (350 F). Then chop your onions into thin slices. Peel all beets and chop into large morsels. Take the skin off the garlic and cut into little pieces or use a garlic press. Place all three ingredients together in a glass cooking dish. Add the salt, sugar and olive oil (or ghee) and mix with a spoon so that all the beets are evenly glazed. Let bake for 45 minutes to 1hr uncovered, mixing each 15 minutes or so with a spoon so all beets are evenly cooked.
* Avoid covering this dish with aluminum foil, as recent research show that the aluminum actually leaks into the food which may cause health problems. Aluminum has been directly linked to Alzheimer’s disease.
Backpack and Fork 
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Thanks so much for the info on the Aluminum foil. All the other recipes I read said if the beets are uncovered they will dry out. So i wonder…
No they wont dry out, but you do have to keep turning them every ten to fifteen minutes so they cook equally all over. They will reduce in size a bit and loose a bit of their juices but that is normal!