The beet goes on: It’s time to embrace the earthy vegetable

I adore beets of all kinds: the earthy sweet, the lurid magenta, the striped pink and the goldens. Sure, they’re not to everyone’s taste, but their strong character stands up to a range of intense flavors – vinegar, horseradish, mustard, piquant dairy sauces, vinaigrettes, smoked fish.

I like them best either steamed or roasted. Cooking mitigates the effects of geosmin, the natural earthy compound that beets contain that is associated with the vegetable’s smell of “fresh rain” and “forest soil.” Early in the season, beets are mild and sweet; as they mature, they become more assertive, more themselves.

Beets are like sponges and absorb flavors quickly, especially if dressed while still warm and left to cool before so the flavors are fully absorbed and then re-dressed before serving to give them a boost. The same applies to other root vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, rutabagas and turnips.

It’s hard to beat the beet-goat cheese salad combo, but there’s plenty more to love. Toss beets with your favorite lemon or lime vinaigrette, curried yogurt and horseradish sauce. Beets pair nicely with salty cured meats and smoked fish. Cooked beets will keep at least five days in the refrigerator in a covered container, ready for last minute side dishes, salads and grain bowls.

Red beets “bleed” and stain ferociously, so roast them wrapped in foil until just tender; cooking times will vary depending on the size and age of the beet. Leave the skins intact until the beet is cooked, then peel them in the sink (ditch the white shirt). Those pink and white striped Chioggia and golden beets hardly bleed at all, but a red-stained cutting board is the mark of a trusty home cook.

Roast Beet Salad With Horseradish-Yogurt Cream

Succulent chunks of roast beets are drizzled with a robust horseradish-spiked yogurt cream. You can prepare the beets and the dressing ahead and hold them in a covered container in the refrigerator for four days then assemble the salad right before serving.

2 small bunches (about 2 pounds) beets, washed, leaves removed

2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

½ cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt

2 tbsp. prepared horseradish sauce, or more to taste

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon minced parsley, plus more for garnish

3 scallions, trimmed and sliced into ⅛ inch-sized pieces

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Drizzle the beets with the oil, season with salt and pepper, and wrap in aluminum foil. Set on a baking sheet and roast until the beets are tender (a skewer should easily slide through), about 35 to 45 minutes, depending on the size of the beets.

While the beets are roasting, whisk together the yogurt, horseradish, lemon juice and parsley. Set aside.

Remove beets from oven and allow to cool. Once cooled, peel the beets over the sink. Cut into ½-inch size chunks and arrange on a large serving plate or individual plates. Drizzle the dressing over, garnish with scallions and additional chopped parsley.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Beth Dooley is the author of “The Perennial Kitchen.” Find her at bethdooleyskitchen.com.