When I was little, I would gag on canned beets, and I hated the way they left a fuschia stain on everything they touched.  But now I’m hooked on roasted beets, and they can stain anything they want.  Beets are available in a rainbow of colors at my local farmers market, and I can almost always find at least one color at the grocery store.

My favorites are the striped chioggia beets:

This composed salad is one of my favorite ways to serve beets.  It’s made with sliced roasted beets, honeycomb, goat cheese rounds, chopped toasted pecans, and arugula sprouts.  Just before serving, drizzle it with olive oil and sherry vinegar, and season with salt and pepper.  The johnny-jump-up garnish is optional.  🙂

(Honeycomb can be hard to find locally, but you can order it online from Savannah Bee Company.  A little goes a long way, and it’s really nice with cheese and fruit.  It makes a great foodie gift, too.)