Roasted Beets & Pears

We are getting some large and fabulous beets out of the garden this year. Ours are perhaps a bit pale as we let several varieties cross, including golden beets, but they achieved a great size and flavour. The one downside was that every time the deer broke into the garden they headed straight for the beet greens. Fortunately this didn't seem to set them back too far.

For some reason I've been in the mood for pears this year, so here are some again. The spices enhanced the natural sweetness of the 2 main ingredients, as did the roasting of them. We ate this with some baked chicken thighs but I can really see it going with pork or turkey. 

4 servings
1 hour 30 minutes - 20 minutes prep time

4 medium beets
1 tablespoon mild vegetable oil
2-3 pods of green cardamom, ground
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, ground
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 medium pears

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Peel the beets and cut them into chunks. Put them in a roasting pan with the oil. Crush the cardamom pods and remove the papery green husks, then grind them with the fennel seeds. Add them to the beets. Peel and grate the ginger and add to the beets. Season with salt and pepper, and toss the beets to coat them in oil and distribute the seasonings throughout them.

Roast for 30 to 40 minutes. Just before that time is up, peel the pears, slice, and core them. Add them to the pan, toss to combine, and roast for another 30 minutes.

Posted in: Ontario Food