My first memory of beets was being told they were dinosaur hearts.  During an elementary school visit to the natural history museum, these gooey, dark, and certainly blood-colored vegetables mustered images of palpitating reptile organs in my juvenile mind.  Needless to say, I wouldn’t go near the things for many years, let alone taste beets until I out-grew my nightlight stage. 

If only I knew what I was missing out on all those years when I was too afraid to disprove the dinosaur myth.  Now, beets are without a doubt a top 10 favorite food of mine.  I realize now that beets are like hearts, but no, I don’t mean like the ones from extinct, scaly creatures.  Beets are like hearts because they are worthy of admiration; they are something that can be deeply loved.  They are a life force of the vegetable world, containing potassium, fiber, manganese, and folic acid, which all aid in liver detoxification.  They contain betacyanin, which give beets their rich, velvet color, which has been shown to be a cancer-fighting agent–what’s not to love?

This fruit of the ground pumps nutrients throughout the body, while not to mention, looks and tastes like magnificence.  Red pigment bleeds from beet bulbs, its staining liquid oozes out just begging to be consumed.  Turning your hands, your knife, your mouth and teeth with a coat of crimson, your beet-eating experience will leave you with a scarlet stamp reminding you of its earthy concentration of natural nutrients.  Pair beets with simple flavors to bring out its inherent beauty:

Bake one large beet in foil or parchment with butter, honey, and balsamic vinegar tucked into incisions that run halfway through the root’s core. Tie the packet at the top with cooking twine.  Bake at 350˚ for and 1 to 1 ½ hours or until fork tender.