beet and carrot salad

The beet is the most intense of vegetables.

The radish, admittedly, is more feverish, but the fire of

the radish is a cold fire, the fire of discontent,

not of passion. Tomatoes are lusty enough,

yet there runs through tomatoes an undercurrent of frivolity.

Beets are deadly serious. ~Tom Robbins

Ahh, Tom Robbins. I love his take on the beet (from the first chapter of Jitterbug Perfume, if you want to read more). This salad does the serious beet justice 'cause it's so simple -- just a little olive oil and a fresh herb to tease out its flavours. (Sorry for the bad photo!)

beet and carrot salad

serves 3-4

3 medium beets, scrubbed with greens removed
4-5 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1-in diagonals
olive oil
salt and pepper
fresh thyme or parsley

Preheat oven to 425. Wrap the beets in parchment-lined tinfoil -- drizzle them with olive oil before you close up the foil -- and place them in a baking pan. Roast until you can slide a knife easily through them (about 60-80 mins).

Let the beets cool until they can be handled easily. Meanwhile, toss prepped carrots in a little olive oil and a dash of salt. Roast until tender (30-35 mins).

Peel, quarter, and dice the beets into bite-size pieces (careful -- they will stain anything!). Toss together with roasted carrots. Season with a little salt and pepper and a handful of roughly chopped parsely or a few sprigs of thyme. Serve warm or at room temp.