One cloudy, still, Sunday afternoon, when I was about ten years old, my parents came home from a farmstand hunt with several bunches of ruby-colored beets with the most luscious leafy greens I had ever seen.

Mom and Dad were downright triumphant over their find. In tandem, they paddled around the kitchen, perfect partners, happily and meticulously washing and peeling those jewel-like orbs, and lovingly bathing the sand from the unfurling greenery.

Soon, the dreary day mattered not at all. It was replaced by the fascination aroused by a big pot, atop the stove, sporting onions, garlic, bacon fat, beets, and beet greens. In no time at all, the house was filled with a smoky, earthy, perfume I’ll never forget.

Some people won’t touch beets, and I’m sure it’s because they’ve never been ‘properly introduced.’ I was properly introduced. Dinner that night was a simple but sublime feast, deeply flavored, tasting of the earth and sun, and all things good and real. Crusty french bread, dipped in the pot-liquor that pooled in the bottom of our soup bowls was a treat almost better than chocolate, that I will never forget.

That night, all was right with the world, and beets, even canned beets, will always be near and dear to my heart.

So, needless to say,  I usually have beets around in one form or another. And, here’s how one recipe can lead to another.  I  recently shared with you my recipe for Lentil Soup With Burgundy Wine and I had some wine leftover. While retrieving something from my pantry, I spied a lone can of low-sodium sliced beets (of course) and my mind made the connection — some fresh rosemary from the garden and I was in business.

Enter pickled beets with rosemary and burgundy wine.

With their robust earthiness, these grapey, herby slices add a little something special to any salad that includes any combination of meats, cheeses, and egg.

Give these a try — I think you’ll like them! Let me know in the Comments section below.

Print Recipe

Pickled Beets With Rosemary And Burgundy Wine

Quick to prepare, these taste great almost immediately, but a rest in the refrigerator to chill them, makes them even better. If your beets are not low-sodium, take the salt level down to just a pinch — you can always add more later, but at least you won't over do it to start with. You can easily double this recipe, but I think of beets as a 'mood piece' so I kept the yield small. © The Working Lunch Project

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Course

Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine

French

Prep Time

5 minutes

Cook Time

4 minutes

Passive Time

3 hours

Servings

servings MetricUS Imperial

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 6 tablespoons Burgundy wine
• 1 teaspoon mild honey
• 1/2 teaspoon salt if using low-sodium canned beets, otherwise, just a pinch of salt
• 1 can 15 ounces low-sodium (875mg salt per can) sliced beets drained, but not rinsed
• 3 three inch sprigs fresh rosemary

Course Side Dish, Snack Cuisine French Prep Time 5 minutes Cook Time 4 minutes Passive Time 3 hours Servings servings MetricUS Imperial Ingredients 6 tablespoons red wine vinegar 6 tablespoons Burgundy wine 1 teaspoon mild honey 1/2 teaspoon salt if using low-sodium canned beets, otherwise, just a pinch of salt 1 can 15 ounces low-sodium (875mg salt per can) sliced beets drained, but not rinsed 3 three inch sprigs fresh rosemary

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Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan, bring the first 4 ingredients to a simmer and allow to reduce slightly, approximately 2 minutes.
2. Add beets and fresh rosemary sprigs to the pan and increase the heat to bring liquids back up to a simmer. Simmer for 2 minutes.
3. Remove from heat, make sure all the beets are spread out flat enough in the bottom of the pan to drink up their brine. Cover partially, and allow to cool to room temperature.
4. When the beets are room temperature, transfer to a glass container, cover, and chill 3 hours or longer, to allow flavors to mellow and meld. Use within 1 week.

Recipe Notes

Nutritional facts per serving:

82 calories

0g fat

219mg sodium

9g carbs

1g fiber

0g protein

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