Apres Le Deluge

Sunday, July 14, 2013


Well, we had an interesting week…

We received a month’s worth of rain in two hours on Monday night, and as a result, our basement (as well as many of our neighbours’) was somewhat soggy.  Actually, a whole lot soggy.  Much of this week has been spent talking to restoration experts and insurance adjustors.

It wasn’t something we expected to happen.  But as Andrew said to me, “You learn what’s important to you.”  He’s right – I raced for the girls’ old schoolwork and the photo albums, while he rescued the signed Sidney Crosby jersey.  It is good to know your priorities.

We were also grateful for very basic things – like the guys who showed up to pump our basement.  And for the incredible number of people who have shown us small kindnesses on our journey back.

When we finally got our power back, almost a day later, we realized we’d barely eaten in that time.  With dinnertime nigh and men still in our basement, a trip to the grocery store was out of the question.  So I relied on what I had on hand and pulled together a quick meal, one component being these beets.   I don’t know if it’s because it was our first meal in a day, or because I was so grateful for the small things, but I think this was one of the best vegetable dishes I’ve ever eaten. I've since made it again with red beets, and it was very good.  But I'll be looking for golden beets next time because it was truly delicious.  (And hopefully 'next time' we won't be wearing boots in the house.)

"Apres moi, le déluge"
- attributed to Louis XV

Roasted Beets
(adapted from Ina Garten’s Barefoot in Paris)

6 golden beets 
1 1/2 Tbsp good olive oil
3/4 tsp fresh thyme leaves, minced
1 tsp kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 Tbsp pear or raspberry vinegar (I only had pear vinegar in my cupboard, and it was sublime)
juice of half a large orange

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Remove the tops and the roots of the beets and peel each one with a vegetable peeler.  Cut the beets in 1 1/2 inch chunks.  (Small beets can be halved, medium ones cut in quarters, and large beets cut in eighths.)

Place the cut beets on a baking sheet and toss with the olive oil, thyme leaves, salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, turning once or twice with a spatula until the beets are tender.  Remove from the oven and immediately toss with the vinegar and orange juice.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and serve warm. 


42 comments:

amy (fearless homemaker) said...

I'm so sorry to hear about all the rain + the sogginess it caused. Glad that you managed to get the important stuff (photo albums, etc.) out of harm's way! And what a wonderful dish this looks like - hearty + comforting. =)

Julie said...

So sorry to hear about your basement! In all my years in the midwest, I've been lucky to never have it happen to me!

These beets are beautiful! I love the addition of the vinegar and the orange juice.

Hoping this is a better week!!!

Bonnie said...

Beth, I can so identify with your water woes. I have a very soft spot in my heart for a certain company who showed up last summer to pump water out of my home after a water pipe burst upstairs. I will be keeping you in my thoughts.

We love roasted beets here, and the farmer's market has them in abundance this time of year. I will be adding the vinegar and OJ next time. Sounds delicious.

Christy said...

Golden beets! Produce envy here. Also a little rain jealousy. We are hot, last week in the 120's, and humid this week with no rain. Will be trying this if I can locate them locally! Happy Bastille Day!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Very appropriate Bastille Day post! So sorry to hear about your basement - flooding can cause incredible damage. I hope everything gets back to normal soon. Anyway, super recipe. Roast beets are wonderful, but I've only done the red ones - need to try it with the golden kind. Good stuff - thanks.

Angie's Recipes said...

Good to hear that rain has finally STOPPED. I had enough this year...
I love those golden beet!

Trish Feehan said...

Despite your own issues with flooding, Beth, a little bird told me you were out there lending a helping hand and support to others in need. Charging cell phones for friends who'd lost power (for 40+ hours), dropping off home-baked cookies. You're the best! And these beets looks scrumptious, btw.

Anonymous said...

Sorry to hear about your basement..
The beet looks really delicious

Natalie Aguirre said...

So sorry for all the rain, Beth. It sounds like a mess and a lot of work to get back to normal. I'm not surprised you were able to whip up something delicious to eat.

Valerie Gamine said...

I've been watching the flood situation on the news - how miserable! I'm glad you managed to salvage all things sentimental, and that you're still cooking up a storm in the kitchen. This dish looks so good, maybe I need to give beets another chance. :)

Velva said...

We can relate to the rain....It has done nothing but rain. Sorry to read that your basement flooded, that stinks. Good to read that you knew what was important in your basement and wasted no time retrieving it.

Great quick meal you pulled together too. I grew golden beets this past fall and they were really good.

Velva

Becki's Whole Life said...

I'm so sorry to hear about all of the rain and your basement flooding. That is definintely a lot to deal with. I did laugh, though about your husband rescuing the Sidney Crosby jersey...sounds like my hockey husband. Hopefully you will dry out soon - it sounds like it is going to dry out here in NC this week. Your beets sound yummy!

Unknown said...

I love beets and these look incredibly well prepared and delicious!
Sorry to hear about the deluge but happy there is an après! Happy Bastille day and to dry weather for a spell ;-)

Cindy said...

The dish looks delicious--hope you are drying out!
Keep smiling.

Andrea_TheKitchenLioness said...

Beth, I do hope that all is well again! What a delicious easy and tasty recipe. I love those golden beets but I have such a hard time finding them around here, so I always use red beets and we love those too!
Have a good Monday and take good care!

Beth said...

Thanks to everyone for your kind comments. Rita, despite my own issues, it actually picked me up to help Kim - they'd been up two nights bailing water, with no power.
And Valerie, I used to hate beets! Try the golden ones if you don't like red - they're more subtle and I really like the flavour.

Cooking Quidnunc said...

Glad you got the power back, so many people were out of power for days, it was crazy.

Yummy recipe, loving beets!

Stina said...

Oh no! We managed to be spared by the Calgary floods and you got hit instead. :(

I've never heard of golden beets. I love the red ones.

Barbara said...

Sorry, Beth! Hope everything's back to normal. I love roasted beets...don't you think almost any veggie tastes better roasted?

Beth said...

Yes, I do, Barbara!

Gloria Baker said...

good to hear finally the rain stopped Beth and hope you are doing well.
These look delicious!!

Anonymous said...

I've never tried golden beets, but this sounds and looks delicious. I hope your basement is back to normal.

Katerina said...

We heard about these heavy rains here in the news. It's so good you started going back to normal and with minimum damage. I love beets but I have never tried golden ones. They look pretty yummy!

Joanne said...

Gah that must have been so stressful! I'm glad to hear that everything is okay though and that you guys finally got fed!

Carla Sandrin said...

You poor guys! We were lucky...this time. I hope life is normalizing and that your basement will be sparkling again soon! Love that beet recipe - I'll definitely make it.

Choc Chip Uru @ Go Bake Yourself said...

Golden beets are so beautiful :D
Love it!

Cheers
CCU

P.S Because of my exams, I will not be commenting for around 4 weeks - see you afterwards!

Jemi Fraser said...

I really haven't eaten beets since I got married. My parents served pickled beets from my dad's garden daily for years. Maybe it's time to try something different with beets! :)

Caroline Taylor said...

I love golden beetroot, they look so appetising. Lovely, simple recipe.

Stephen Tremp said...

I love beets. Not sure why more people don't eat them. They taste good in garden smoothies too.

grace said...

ha--men do have some unique priorities, that's for sure. :)
i haven't yet found a preparation for beets that took away that dirt flavor, but this is worth a go!

Juliana said...

Oh Beth, sorry about your basement...
Your golden beets look great...simple and tasty...the way I like!

Angela Ackerman said...

So sorry about your flooded basement. You are right that when things like this happen, we realize what is important. I am going to give this a try...I love beets!

Agela

Vi said...

the beets are beautiful! we've had gobs of rain here, I hate that your basement flooded :( I remember when that happened to us growing up. My sisters and I saved all our dress up clothes- so I understand priorities! :)

Inger @ Art of Natural Living said...

My condolences on your basement -- I hope everything is back to normal soon. Your beets are beautiful; the gold caramelized gloriously! I will have to try these when the beets come in. Can't believe it is mid-July already!

vanillasugarblog said...

Oh my , sounds like your rain is what we had a couple weeks ago.
We had 2 weeks straight of rain; 6 inches. (cape cod)
And now, all we have is pure heat with very high humidity.
I haven't baked in days; I know my blog will suffer.

Anna said...

Sounds like quite a mess! My poor newlywed sister and her husband had a similar situation - you must live in the same part of Canada :)Quite the adventure. Sometimes things you whip up with what's on hand end up turning out the best - I've never had golden beets, I'll have to keep an eye out for them!

Amy said...

Sorry about the damage from the rain. Glad you were able to save what's important to you and your family. On a lighter note, these golden beets look delicious and so glad you have them on hand when dinner time rolls around.

Anonymous said...

felt sorry for all that mess and problem...apart from that these look way more delicious than what we had thought beets cook be, seriously it looks so gorgeous and this is just the perfect quick-fix :-)

nancy at good food matters said...

I'm so sorry for your troubles with flooding, but I'm glad that it wasn't worse. I hope things will get back to business-as-usual in your life.

Roasted beets become almost candy-like--in an earthy sort of way. I love all the colors, which are fun to roast together

Kathy said...

After being without power for 9 days after hurricane Sandy…I feel your pain. Sorry for all your trouble. Hope things are getting back to normal.
I just roasted golden beets this past week for dinner…love them. Yours look so satisfying and delicious!

Unknown said...

I'm so sorry to hear about your flooding. We've had similar problems and been without power for days so I "get" it! You definitely pulled a rabbit out of a hat with this one, wow, it looks wonderful!

Vicki Bensinger said...

I love beets and this version with the raspberry vinegar sounds yummy.

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