Do you love beets?

Dear readers, do you love beets like I do? The two farmers' markets I go to are filled with beets right now - deep red beets, yellow beets, orange beets, striped beets. My mouth waters just thinking about it. Mmmmmmm!

Anyway ... it occurred to me that many people don't know how to cook beets and they have to get them out of cans and jars. I mean, those are OK, but they taste nothing like a freshly roasted beet. So I decided to share my TOTALLY EASY recipe for roasted beets with a yummy walnut vinaigrette.

Roasted Beets with Walnut Vinaigrette

• A bunch of medium-sized beets of any color, or a combination of colors
• 1/2 tablespoon sherry
• 1/2 tablespoon unflavored rice vinegar
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• sea salt
• 1 tablespoon walnut oil
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Italian parsley, chopped
• freshly ground pepper
• a few walnuts (if you want them)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Cut the leaves off the beets, leaving an inch of leaf stalk, and save the leaves for another use. They are wonderful in soups or salads, or cooked with other greens, but they only last a day or two, so use them quickly.

Also cut the "tail" off the beetroot, leaving about an inch. Wrap each beet individually in aluminum foil and place them in a baking dish that's large enough to hold them in one layer. Add about an inch of water to the baking dish, and place it in the preheated oven.

Roast the beets for one hour, or until they are tender when pierced with the tip of a paring knife.

Remove them from the oven and let them cool enough to handle. Then remove the aluminum foil and peel them with a paring knife. You can also get the peel off by rubbing the beets with a paper towel, but I usually get impatient with this and just get out the knife. Cut the beets into slices, quarters, or bite-sized pieces. WARNING: Beet juice stains, so wear an apron and be careful not to spatter the juice on your clothing!

Meanwhile, prepare the vinaigrette. Combine the vinegars and salt, mixing well, and add the oils. While the peeled and cut beets are still warm, dress them with the vinaigrette and the parsley. Try them, and if you'd like them to be a little more tart, add a bit more balsamic vinegar.

Season with freshly ground pepper, sprinkle a few walnut pieces over the whole thing, and enjoy!

Uses: These beets are yummy in a salad. They are a healthy side dish with most meat and vegetable dishes. They would also be a welcome addition to your Thanksgiving dinner table, adding color and a delicious contrast to more, shall we say, rich traditional dishes. You know, the ones topped with marshmallows! :-)