Beets with Orange Sauce

For some reason, beets have never held a huge appeal for me, at least as a cook. I don't know why this is. I love beet soup. My mother used to make this wonderful cold beet soup in the summertime, which we would dollop sour cream into. Beet greens are good too. The French know how to use beets in salad. I ate beet salad all over France in 1973 on my post college trip.
But beets don't show up on our family menu much at all.

Frankly, if it wasn't for this blog project, beets with orange sauce would never show up. Way too 50s if you ask me. Again, golden beets were the only beets available, so the whole effect was rather yellow. I also did not have cornstarch. I substituted arrowroot, which is supposed to have the same thickening effect. My husband told me that I should not use as much as the recipe called for, so I didn't. It also did not thicken the way it was supposed to, so if you don't have cornstarch, get some before undertaking the recipe.

We ate the beets with short ribs. Tasted fine.

Beets with Orange Sauce

2 bunches beets

boiling water

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

3/4 cup orange juice

3 tablespoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons grated orange rind

1/8 tablespoon ground allspice

1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 tablespoon honey

2 tablespoons butter

1. Scrub the beets and cut off the tops. leaving one inch attached. Place in a saucepan and add boiling water to cover. Add the vinegar and cook until tender, about twenty minutes.

2. Drain beets, reserving some liquid. Skin the beets, then slice or dice them and keep warm.

3. Strain enough reserved beet liquid to yield one-quarter-cup Combine with the orange juice, lemon juice, orange rind and allspice. Add the cornstarch slowly.

4. Bring to a boil, stirring and cook until sauce thickens. Stir in the honey and butter and pour over the beets. Makes four to six servings.