Roasted Lemon Rosemary Golden Beets with Balsamic Vinegar

Despite being in the midst of dead days for finals, there was still plenty of activity at the Market. My second week ‘shadowing’ the job of a market intern, I was ready to start creating new recipes inspired by the offerings of the Market, including golden beets, a Meyer lemon, and some aged balsamic vinegar. While I had never cooked with them before, I decided to try the golden beets, won over by their lovely hue and the promise that they wouldn’t stain (Not that I don’t love the good ol’ red beets, but I do also love a clean shirt and a pair of clean hands).

As promised, the beets did not stain. In addition to fresh-squeezed lemon juice, I added a few sprigs’ worth of chopped fresh rosemary along with salt and pepper to taste. The outcome was perfect—tangy balancing the earthy sweet along with the crisp rosemary. I also loved the bright palate of colors. Check out the recipe below!

Ingredients:

• 4 medium golden beets, peeled
• 1 large Meyer lemon
• 1-2 Tbs. fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1 Tbs. oil
• ½ tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. ground black pepper
• 1 Tbs. aged balsamic vinegar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Chop beets in to ½ inch cubes, set aside.
3. Zest the lemon, adding the zest to the rosemary.
4. Cut lemon in half, crosswise. Juice one lemon section and add to beets.
5. Slice the other section of the lemon thinly, crosswise. Set aside.
6. Toss the beets with oil, lemon juice, rosemary/zest, salt and pepper until well coated.
7. Transfer to greased or lined baking pan, spreading out the beets evenly.
8. Top with lemon slices and place in oven.
9. Roast for about 20 minutes, stirring halfway through, until beets are tender and browned.
10. Transfer to serving plate and drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Optional: can be served with some fruit Greek yogurt (I used a dark-cherry fruit-on-the-bottom).