Beet

Strong beef broth and garlic, not sugar, make a true Ukrainian borscht delicious. Fresh root vegetables and roasted beets provide plenty of sweetness which is balanced by an acid edge of lemon.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

A word of warning: I have a friend who at first refused to eat this dish because of its color, a wild, alarming fuschia. He complained that it did not look "natural." Since then he has been persuaded. The taste, he said, won him over. This is generally served at room temperature or chilled.

"I love green vegetables and always make an effort to do something special with them for dinner parties," says Jeanne Thiel Kelley, contributing editor to Bon Appétit. "Brussels sprouts are a Thanksgiving staple at our house, and this year I'm dressing them up with colorful golden beets that I buy at farmers' markets, as well as crunchy turnips and sautéed hazelnuts. For convenience, the vegetables can be cooked a day ahead and then reheated. You can use regular beets instead of golden, but they should be sautéed separately and combined with the other vegetables just before serving, or the beets will turn everything red."

This dish is a particularly good accompaniment to beef or lamb. Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 45 min

This soup is from Russia and Poland.

This rich red nectar may be eaten hot or cold. I serve it in a demitasse or other small cup. Scrub the beets well before cooking. Taste as you prepare the soup, because getting the right balance of sweet and sour is important.

This recipe was created to accompany Delphey's Cold Cucumber Soup.

Beets and red cabbage are a great combination. In this recipe, the two are grated and then slowly cooked with onions. The result is a side dish that would go well with roast veal, pot roast or sausages.

This recipe is from chef Peter Doyle from Cicada in Sydney. "This dish is a play on Maltaise sauce, but in a lighter, fresher version more conducive to our climate."

Cabbage has been a staple vegetable in New England since the colonists sowed the first seeds. In the beginning, English settlers boiled it, just as they had back home. Eventually, other immigrants introduced creative new ways to prepare it. Coleslaw, for example, was brought over by the Dutch. This is our version, with the colorful addition of beets, another popular ingredient in this part of the world.

Unfortunately, beets are not on the top-ten list of favorite foods for many people. Most people hate them because they've only eaten them boiled or canned, but I was fortunate enough to try the real thing at an early age. So they're on my top-ten list, and this recipe might just be a great way to get them on yours. The roasting brings out the sweetness and intensifies the depth of flavor that is lost when you boil. Once you roast a beet, you'll never go back. Don't throw away the beet greens: braise or sauté them if they are large, or add them to salad greens if they are small. The rich, thick Walnut Gorgonzola Dressing is also great on burgers or grilled portobello mushrooms or mixed into greens.

This salad has changed the minds of many who previously found beets overpowering. The Sherry vinegar provides a nice accent, though balsamic vinegar also will work. The walnuts may be replaced with pine nuts, pecans, or slivered almonds.

The lively dressing lends a little zip to this fresh-tasting, colorful salad.