Those wily beets...

From the last post, you learned that I have never eaten beets.  Now that doesn't particularly present a problem because I am not wasting away to nothing with only beets between me and that "Great Day of Judgment."  Quite the contrary... my eating habits will probably hasten that day.

Oh, yes.  Perhaps there is one tiny problem.  She is 27 years old, has my personality, and looks like her mother (luckily.)  Danika. 

Danika was a very picky eater.  For a while she would only eat "dip" spaghetti, steak, french fries, and chicken.  Perhaps there were a few more things she would eat, but let's just say my cooking style was cramped a bit.  Lately she has greatly expanded her food list with the exception of fish.  Anything that remotely resembles a fish is simply out of the question.  I have tried to encourage her to eat lobster, shrimp, mahi mahi, scallops, you name it, by simply saying, "How do you know you don't like it if you don't try it?"  Uh... beets.

So, Danika, even though I am certainly not a perfect father and your learning from my life includes learning from my mistakes, I will eat beets.

Looking at the picture starting off this post, at the top of the triangle is a plate with a Beet and Tahini Dip.  Bottom left, Roasted Rosemary Beets.  And bottom right, Pickled Beets, (the beets my mom called "Harvard Beets.")  Kathy made all of these treats early in the week and I didn't get around to eating them until Friday.  I suppose I was trying to avoid them.

My first try was the Pickled Beets...

Can you tell what I thought of them?  By the way, in all fairness, the beets did not cause my left eye to become amblyopic.  That was from an accident when I was five years old... but that's another story.

I did regroup form the first taste to try the other two dishes...

My response is a little better...  you can actually see a little smile on my face!

So, Danika, take on those fish!  You'll never know until you try!

Beet Tahini Dip (Recipe credit: Anissa Helou)

1 pound red beets (about three medium)

1 clove garlic, sliced

1/4 cup Tahini

3 to 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Sea salt

1. In a 375 degree oven, bake the beets in a covered baking dish with 1/4 inch of water on the bottom until tender, about 45 to 55 minutes.  When cool, peel and cut into quarters.

2. Puree beets and garlic in a food processor and then add the tahini.  Add lemon juice to taste.  The tahini may need a lot of juice to balance its flavor.

3.  Serve with warmed pita wedges, sliced cucumbers, tomato  wedges, and green onions.