Simple Goodness

I bought some beets at the farmer's market last Saturday. Root vegetables say "autumn" to me. I've been in a cocoon-y mood on evenings and weekends as autumn kicks off. I'm all about reading, writing, DIY'ing, gardening, Netflix-ing, cooking, baking, 100 mile radius for travel, and having very low key get togethers.

Sauteeing red cabbage with apples, butter and a little brown sugar. Dressing up locally made kielbasa with fennel seeds, mustard and cardamon. Roasting pork tenderloin stuffed with spinach and pine nuts. Baking cookies and breads. Braising short ribs. Mashing yukon golds with the wonderful, vintage potato masher that my cousins offered with a cookbook from my Aunt Kate's kitchen, after she passed away unexpectedly in September.

Tonight I felt like roasting a veggie, so I scrubbed the beets, sprinkled them with kosher salt and splashed them with a little olive oil.

Appealing, before roasting

A-peeling, after roasting!

After 30 minutes in a 375F oven, the aroma in the house let me know they were ready. I could have let them cool for longer, but I'm trying to train my fingers to be a bit more chef-like by holding hot foods. I swear I'm not a fugitive trying to burn off my fingerprints. (Too much CSI and Food Network) I'm not even close, so I was saying "ow, ow, ow, ow" as I peeled off the skins. The beets were so deep-purply and roasty. They put canned beets to complete and utter shame. Promise me you will not eat canned beets!

I might have quartered them and had beets with blood orange sections and greens with some balsamic vinegar and olive oil....but I did not have the 2 latter ingredients. Instead I sliced them, crumbled some goat cheese on top, gave the sel et poivre grinders a turn, and drizzled a bit of olive oil. So simple and so good.