Beets come in red, gold, and candy-striped.  The traditional red beet is rich in flavor, the gold beet is light and sweet, the candy-striped (Chioggia) is a mix of the two.  Try all three to see which is your favorite!

Roasted Beets
6 medium beets, cleaned with 1-inch stem remaining
garlic, shallots, or onion
sprigs rosemary
2 teaspoons olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large bowl toss all of the ingredients. Place into a foil pouch and roast in the oven for 40 minutes.

Chioggia Beets with Raspberry Mint Vinaigrette
1 lb Chioggia beets, 1 inch of stems left intact 
3 Tbs thinly sliced scallions
2 to 2 1/2 Tbs raspberry vinegar
2 tsp fresh lemon juice, or to taste
2 Tbs chopped fresh mint
1 Tbs finely grated fresh orange zest (from 2 oranges)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
Garnish with fresh mint sprigs

Cover beets with water by 1 inch in a 2- to 3-quart saucepan and simmer until tender when pierced in center with a fork, about 30 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold running water. Let stand until cool enough to handle, then slip off and discard skins. Slice beets into 1/4-inch-thick slices.

While beets are cooking, stir together scallions, 2 Tbs vinegar, lemon juice to taste, mint, zest, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Add oil in a slow stream, whisking until combined. Add warm beets and toss with vinaigrette and vinegar and salt to taste. Serve warm or slightly chilled.

Sweet Beet Slaw
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus 3 Tbs
2 small to medium-sized red beets, peeled and grated
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 heaping Tbs Dijon mustard
3 Tbs red wine vinegar
3 Tbs chopped fresh dill
8 to 10 radishes, julienned
1/2 small head red cabbage, thinly shredded
3 bias cut scallions
2 rounded tsp dill pickle relish

Preheat about 3 Tbs of extra-virgin olive oil in a medium size skillet over medium-high heat. Once you see the oil ripple in the pan add the grated beets, season with some salt and pepper and cook stirring every now and then until they are tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer the beets to a bowl and cool. Add the mustard and the vinegar to the beets. Whisk in the remaining extra-virgin olive oil in a slow and steady stream. Add the fresh dill, radishes, shredded cabbage, sliced scallions and relish and toss to combine, taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve immediately or refrigerate and serve the next day. Serves 4.

Glazed Golden Beets
2 bunches golden beets, about 6 to 8 beets
4 Tbs brown sugar, packed
3 Tbs apple juice or orange juice
1 Tbs butter
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Cut leaves and stems from the beets and scrub; put the whole, unpeeled beets in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil; cover and simmer over medium heat for 20 to 30 minutes, until tender. Slip skins from beets and slice beets into 1/4-inch pieces.

In a large skillet or saute pan, combine the brown sugar, juice, and butter. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add the beets and cook, uncovered, stirring frequently, until the liquid has evaporated and beets are glazed, about 5 to 7 minutes. Serves 6

Roasted Chioggia Beets with Feta
1/2 cup raspberry vinegar
3 Tbs honey
1 medium shallot, minced
Kosher salt
Coarsely cracked black pepper
1/4 cup grapeseed oil
8 small Chioggia beets (about 2 1/2 pounds), washed and trimmed
1 Tbs unsalted butter, cut into small bits
4 oz feta cheese, thinly sliced
Handful of spicy baby greens, such as arugula, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350°. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup of the raspberry vinegar, 1 1/2 Tbs of the honey, the shallot, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Whisk in the grapeseed oil until emulsified.

Arrange the beets so they fit snugly in a single layer in a deep baking dish. Add enough water to barely cover the beets, then add the remaining 1/4 cup of vinegar and 1 1/2 Tbs of honey and the butter. Season with salt and pepper. Cover with foil and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the beets are tender when pierced with a knife. Let cool slightly.

Drain and peel the beets and slice them 1/4 inch thick. Add them to the honey dressing and let cool for up to 4 hours.

To serve, arrange half of the beet slices on 8 small plates and cover with the feta. Top with the remaining beet slices and drizzle each serving with about 1 Tbs of the dressing. Garnish with the greens and serve. Serves 8