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Gingered Purée of Root Vegetables

Serves 6

Consider this a method as much as a recipe. The carrot and rutabaga give the purée a light orange color, the ginger and nutmeg add a touch of sweetness, and the cream makes it luxuriously rich. This blend of root vegetables is particularly pleasing, but other root vegetables could be used instead.

1 large carrot, peeled and cut into 1-inch slices

1 large parsnip, peeled and cut into 2-inch slices

1 large rutabaga, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 large turnip, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces

1 onion, peeled and quartered

2 garlic cloves, peeled

3 tablespoons butter

½ cup heavy whipping cream

1 (½-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced

¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, plus more for garnish

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 Combine the carrot, parsnip, rutabaga, turnip, onion, and garlic in a medium saucepan and cover with salted cold water. Bring to a boil and boil until very tender, about 20 minutes. Drain well.

2 Transfer the vegetables to a food processor and add the butter, cream, and ginger. Process until smooth. Season with the nutmeg and salt and pepper.

3 Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with a light sprinkling of additional nutmeg.

Kitchen Note: If you are making this for a holiday meal, you can make it in advance and keep it in the refrigerator for a day. Reheat in a 350°F oven, covered, for about 45 minutes.

Baked Beets in Béchamel

Serves 4

If this beet dish isn’t the perfect dish for Valentine’s Day, I don’t know what is. The creamy sauce, tinted pink by the beets, is a delicious change from the usual sweet-and-sour preparations you might associate with beets.

4 medium beets, peeled and cut into ¼-inch slices

½ cup water

3 tablespoons butter

1 shallot, minced

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup milk

¼ cup dry white wine

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

1 Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly oil a 9- by 13-inch baking dish.

2 Arrange the beets in the baking dish. Pour in the water. Cover tightly.

3 Bake for about 45 minutes, until the beets are fork-tender.

4 Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallot and sauté until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the flour to form a smooth paste. Add the milk and wine and bring just to a boil. The sauce will thicken. Remove from the heat and season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

5 Pour the sauce over the beets. Return to the oven and bake, uncovered, for about 10 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and golden around the edges. Serve hot.

Variation: Baked Root Vegetables in Béchamel

Béchamel is a lovely topping for other roasted root vegetables, too. Just follow this recipe, substituting 1 pound of any other root vegetable for the beets.

Harvard Beets

Serves 4–6

This “old-school” recipe may or may not have originated with a Harvard (or Yale) student. It is a classic way to prepare beets — in a sweet-and-sour sauce, enhanced with orange. If it doesn’t seem likely that the recipe was invented by a student, you may think it more credible that the recipe originated in a tavern in England by the name of Harwood, with “Harvard” being a mispronunciation of the name. Either way, the beets are glisten-ingly beautiful with a tasty glaze.

2 pounds beets, unpeeled

½ cup sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon whole allspice berries or 2 whole cloves

2/3 cup artisanal apple cider vinegar or dry white wine

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon orange marmalade

1 Cover the beets with water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and boil gently until the beets are tender, 30 to 60 minutes, depending on their size. Drain, let cool, and cut into matchsticks, slices, or wedges.

2 Combine the sugar, cornstarch, salt, allspice, and vinegar in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until the liquid thickens and becomes clear. Add the beets, remove from the heat, and