Roasted Beets with Cumin and Mint

My favorite thing about this meal (aside from the fact that it is delicious) is that it used two ingredients from my CSA haul - beets and mint.  Beyond that, it is a wonderful variation from your standard roasted beets recipes.  I love the combination of the cumin and the mint to give the beets some flavors beyond just the sweetness typical of roasted beets.  The cumin gives the beets a wonderful smoky warmth, and the combination of the mint and lemon juice makes them fresh and vibrant.  My favorite way to serve these beets is over mixed spring greens or other tender greens with some nice goat cheese crumbled over the whole thing and some toasted walnuts for crunch.  If you use these beets as part of a salad you don't really need any additional dressing because the beets have plenty of dressing on their own (generally when I make these beets and serve them solo I cut down on the amount of dressing because it really is a lot). 

Recipe after the jump!

Roasted Beets with Cumin and Mint

Gourmet

May 2007

INGREDIENTS:

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp cumin seeds, toasted and lightly crushed

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

3 medium beets (1 1/4 pound total without greens), trimmed, leaving 1 inch of stems attached

1/3 cup fresh mint, coarsely chopped

Stir together lemon juice, cumin seeds, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Stir in oil and let stand while roasting beets.

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 425°F.  Tightly wrap beets in a double layer of foil and roast on a baking sheet until tender, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Cool to warm in foil package, about 20 minutes.  When beets are cool enough to handle, peel them, discarding stems and root ends, then cut into 1/2-inch-wide wedges.

Toss warm beets with dressing. Stir in mint just before serving.