Dark Days 5: Transforming the Ugly Beets

Don't they look awful?  They were some odd cross between golden and regular beets, but they were also woody inside.  I had a plan, however! 

1.  Scrub.  Bake, covered, for 1 hour or until tender when poked.
2.  Allow to sit for up to 10 minutes.
3.  Dump beets in cold water.  Slide skins off - they will come right off with your hands!  Run a little more cold water over them if needed.
4.  Now you have cooked, skinned beets.
5.  Puree according to Mollie Katzen's directions in Moosewood.  Flavored with salt, homemade applesauce, apple cider vinegar, and local honey (and non-local lemon).

I only used a few beets for the sauce.  The rest I pickled with a siriacha brine.

Beet sauce served with Cottage Potatoes (local cheese, butter, potatoes, sweet onions; not local rosemary and homemade bread - but made with organic flour).  Roasted brussel sprouts.  Local, and sadly, according to my market farmer, the last ones until next fall.

Family's opinions:  The kids weren't very enthused about the brussel sprouts, but I paid no attention because sometimes they adore them.  Logically, I think they'd want some nice vegetables after all the Christmas sweets, but their tastes aren't logical.

My husband and I enjoyed the flavors in this meal.  The beet sauce is definitely more than the sum of its parts.

Genevieve and I ate together after some shopping, leaving a Christmas gift from Aunt Mel spread out on the table.  Genevieve didn't eat much before she wanted to work on her mosaic again.

(Dark Days Challenge explanation here, in case you haven't read any back posts)