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What is it about beets? I don’t know about your family, but my husband, our kids, and my nephews Adam and Oliver - who we are visiting this week in Switzerland - just love them. Pickled, roasted, it doesn’t matter. But somehow getting pickled beets out of a can or jar just doesn’t seem that wholesome.

So why not make your own with this recipe from Elise at Simply Recipes (and while you’re at it, please check out Elise’s site. It’s food blogging at its best.)

Pickled Beats
Serves four (or two very hungry nephews)

Ingredients:

1. 1 bunch (4 or 5) beets (make sure they are big - nothing worse than trying to get the skin off a bunch of little beets)
2. 1/4 cup cider vinegar
3. 1 Tbsp sugar
4. 1 Tbsp olive oil
5. 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
6. Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Remove greens from beets, save for future use (See Elise’s beet greens recipe. However, I like to steam them and add cider vinegar. Or if I’m making borscht, I just add them to the pot.)
2. Cut beets to uniform sizes so they will cook evenly. (You remove the peels after you cook them - much easier!)
3. Steam or boil around 30 minutes or until done. (Alternatively, you can roast them by wrapping them whole in foil and cooking them in a 350°F oven for about an hour.) A fork easily inserted into the beet will tell you if the beets are done or not.
4. Drain the beets, rinsing them in cold water. Use your fingers to slip the peels off of the beets. The peels should come off easily. Discard the peels and slice the beets.
5. Make the vinaigrette by combining the cider vinegar, sugar, olive oil, and dry mustard. Whisk ingredients together with a fork. The dry mustard will help to emulsify the vinaigrette. Adjust spices and add salt and pepper to taste.
6. Combine beets and vinaigrette in a bowl and allow to marinate for a half hour at room temperature.

And while we’re enjoying Elise’s purple pickled beets, let’s hang out with Harold and the Purple Crayon or Scholastic’s Harold and the Purple Crayon… and More Harold Stories on DVD.

It’s hard to believe that Harold and that purple crayon of his has been around for 50 years. The stories still inspire children to use their imagination and art to inspire them. Now where’s that purple crayon of mine?

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