Mark Bittman : Borscht is the highest and best use for a beet.
The newest issue of The Art of Eating
found its way in to my mail box yesterday. It contains what is essentially an article that could easily have been
titled Elizabeth David for Americans : a reading primer. So with that in mind I will offer you my own under-defined and loosey-goosey recipe
for doing fun stuff with beets, your borscht be damned:
Get a bunch of small-ish beets, peel and quarter them and then place in a suitably sized casserole.
In a mixing bowl combine a good amount of red wine with some olive oil and plenty of honey. The trick to the oil
is to have enough for the beets to cook in but not so much that they'll be swimming in it when the wine has
cooked off. Add ground (not powdered) pepper and tarragon to taste.
Stick in a very hot oven and bake for 45-60 minutes. Move the beets around every once in a while. Take
them out when the beets are soft to a fork's touch (that sounds kind of rude, doesn't it?) and when almost all of the
wine has evaporated and the honey has started to carmelize.