Roasted Beets with Pistachios and Chives

A few weeks ago I posted about preparing beet greens, and promised to post a recipe for the actual beets. I owe the inspiration of the alternating thinly sliced golden and red beets to the fabulous Basque restaurant Harvest Vine here in Seattle. They prepare a very excellent similar salad. And, I owe the inspiration for the chives and pistachios to a beet salad I enjoyed at How to Cook a Wolf.

Try to choose beets of the same size, so that they cook evenly. Larger beets might take more than an hour to fully cook, where as medium, two inch beets will take about forty five minutes. There is no reason to peel or cut the beets prior to cooking, as once cooked the beet skins should slip off easily. If you prefer not to dye your hands with beet juice, you may want to peel them with gloves or use a paper towel.

Roasted Beets with Pistachios and Chives
Serves 4-6

1 bunch of golden beets
1 bunch of red beets
1 clove of garlic, cut in half
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
3 or more tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons pistachios, chopped
1 tablespoons chives, minced
Salt

Preheat oven to 400. Trim the stems and wash beets. Place beets in a pan, add about 1/4 inch of water to the pan to keep them from sticking and burning, then cover the pan tightly with foil. Roast in the oven for about forty five minutes, and at that point begin periodically checking for doneness. They are ready when you can pierce the middle easily with a paring knife. Remove from the oven and wait until they are cool enough to handle, then peel off the skin. Slice in 1/4 inch thick rounds. Drizzle just a bit of olive oil on the serving platter and rub with the cut side of the garlic. Arrange alternating beet colors in a spiral on the serving platter. Rub the beets a bit with the cut garlic as well. Drizzle with the vinegar and rest of the olive oil. Sprinkle with salt, pistachios and chives.