Recipe: And the Beet Goes On…

Baked Beets with Dried Cranberries and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

This recipe turned out to be “alchemical,” which is to say that the flavors unite and blend in a surprising way. Dried cranberries (which are somewhat sweetened or they would be really tart) are becoming widely available.

Serves 4 to 6 people.

• 12 to 15 sun-dried tomatoes
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 5-6 beets (probably 2 bunches)
• peel of half an orange, grated
• salt

If you are using sun-dried tomatoes that are not packed in oil, place them in a saucepan, cover with water, and cook several minutes. Add the cranberries for half a minute at the end. Drain and reserve the liquid. Slice the sun-dried tomatoes into narrow strips.

Trim the stems off the beets and place them in a baking dish with the water from the sun-dried tomatoes (or add enough water to fill up the pan 1/4 inch). Cover the pan and bake in a 375- to 400-degree oven for 1 hour or more until they are fork-tender.

Remove beets from pan and allow to cool enough so that you can remove the skins, roots, and stems. Then cut up the beets and put them back in the baking dish with the tomatoes, cranberries, orange peel, and a touch of salt. Reheat in the oven before serving.