beets in butter

A recent outing in search of a part-time job led me to Whole Foods, where I discovered that they sell beets individually, rather than in bunches. Perfect! I thought, since I usually cook just for myself and sometimes struggle to use a whole bunch of beets before either A) they go bad or B) I've had my fill and can't stand the sight of them. Solution found!

To use them, I settled on a preparation in How to Cook Everything wherein you bake the beets, then saute them in butter. It is very rare that I cook with butter, so it's almost an unfamiliar taste to me, but lately I've found that it makes a big difference in flavor (and that it tastes really good). And, anyway, I wanted to try doing something new with beets, other than baking them and eating them sliced or chopped up in a salad.

As the beets sauteed, I cooked some store-bought whole wheat gnocchi that I've wanted to try for a while, but haven't known exactly how to use. (I have a sort of mental block with topping whole-wheat pasta with tomato sauce, or even something like pesto; it just doesn't make sense to me.) After they cooked, I tossed them briefly in the pan with the beets to pick up the flavors from the pan, then topped everything with a little shredded pecorino romano.

Sadly, I wasn't as wowed by the butter as I had expected and hoped to be. I hate to say it, but I could have used olive oil and enjoyed it just as much. But you butter lovers out there shouldn't be swayed by this disclaimer--embrace the recipe in its original glory!

Beets in butter
from How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman
Time: 1 hour inactive baking, plus 15 minutes for everything else

4 large or 8 medium beets, about 1 1/2 to 2 lbs., with about 1 inch of their tops still on
2 Tbsp. butter (or oil)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Fresh chives or parsley leaves for garnish

1. To bake beets: preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Wash beets well. Wrap them individually in foil and place on baking sheet or roasting pan. Cook, undisturbed, for 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours, until a thin-bladed knife pierces one with little resistance (they may cook at different rates; remove each one when it is done). While the beets are cooking, you can mince the herbs, do a load of laundry, watch some Law & Order, call your great-aunt Mildred, and so on.

2. When they are cool enough to handle, peel the baked beets and slice or cut into chunks. If, like me, you're going to combine the finished beets with other things, you may consider cutting them into similiarly sized pieces (as I did, or tried to do, with the gnocchi).

3. To a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat, add butter. When butter foam subsides, add beets. Cook, stirring, until hot, about 5 minutes (or less, if you didn't let the beets cool very long after baking). Season with salt and pepper, garnish and serve.