Beets are one of those vegetables of which I love the shape and color. The sweet earthy flavor adds depth and color to salads and they are exquisite roasted vegetables.

I recently had a delicious beet hummus that I have added to my repertoire. It requires roasting the beets first. I recommend this as a Sunday afternoon hors d’oeuvres. Prep and roast the beets in the morning, keep your household from eating all of them and then take the roasted beets and use them into a savory, magenta hummus and serve with crackers and carrot sticks.

See recipe at right.

Beets are native to the Mediterranean region and people have been eating the leaves since before written history. In the Middle Ages, beetroot was used as a treatment for a variety of conditions, especially illnesses relating to digestion and the blood.

Today, research has shown that beet juice may have an effect on cardiovascular disease. It did not become a popular food until the French recognized the appeal of roasted beets in the 1800s.

The beets at the Sequim Farmers Market are beautiful and abundant. You will find red, golden and the striped chioggia beets present. I have seen many of them alongside beautiful butterhead lettuce that would be certainly be complementary to them along with some blue cheese and walnuts.

If you haven’t dipped into this year’s beets, I hope this will be just the right inspiration for you to do so.

Creamy Beet Hummus

1 medium roasted beet, chopped

2 cups cooked and drained chickpeas

1 tablespoon lime juice

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons tahini

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 cloves garlic

Blend the beets and chickpeas together in a food processor until slightly combined.

Add the rest of the ingredients in and blend until all the ingredients are incorporated and smooth, about 30 seconds to 1 minute or longer depending on your food processor.

Taste and adjust any ingredients based on your taste.

If you want to give it a little extra love, garnish with some of the beets and chickpeas. Just dice beets and place on top and add a couple of chickpeas, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with a bit of allspice, add chopped parsley, toasted sesame seeds, etc.