By MOLLIE KATZEN • Tribune Media Services
The flavor of roasted beets is difficult to describe. I usually don't even try. I just roast them, dress them with some of their most compatible colleagues, and let the finished product speak for itself.
The language is always clear, expressing the beauty of juxtaposing the quiet, noble tones of pure beet-ness with edgier notes from garlic, vinegar, pungent feta cheese, and a bright green hit of herb (in this case, fresh mint). The final, wonderful touch comes from highly flavorful roasted hazelnut oil (a small amount of which goes an entrancingly long way) and some chopped hazelnuts themselves. A perfect light lunch entree for summer, this can also be lovely for dinner, on its own little plate, served before or after the entree.
Roasting beets doesn't take that much longer than simmering them. It requires very little work and is well worth the negligible effort. The dry, high heat of the roasting process causes the beets to cook from their own inner moisture, intensifying their flavor, and enhancing their natural, rich sweetness.
Mollie Katzen can be reached at www.molliekatzen.com.
