I sure do roast a lot of beets. That’s really something coming from a woman who grew up on DelMonte canned vegetables (and even after my Mom switched to frozen, she still used beets from the can).

Actually, good canned beets are fine in a pinch. One of those keep-it-on-hand-just-in-case items, like frozen peas and peanut butter.

But roasted fresh beets are better. Roasting brings out the natural sugars, making this already sweet vegetable even sweeter. Besides, when you buy fresh beets you also get the greens, which I cook separately (stir-fried in olive oil with salt and raisins).

Last week I mentioned that may family loves beet salad and that I would be making this recipe for our Father’s Day get-together. And I did indeed make a beet salad, but I made this version rather than that one because the mint that I planted a few weeks ago finally is thriving and I wanted to use some.

It got great reviews.

Beet Salad with Orange, Mint and Lime

• 3 large beets

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 2 tablespoons lime juice

• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint

• 2 teaspoons grated fresh orange peel

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Trim the beets, cutting away the greens, if any, and discarding any hard, fibrous parts of the stem. Wash and drain the greens and use them for other purposes. Scrub the beets, wrap them in aluminum foil and roast for 50-60 minutes or until they are tender. Peel the beets when they are cool enough to handle. Cut the beets into bite size pieces and place in a bowl. Add the vegetable oil, lime juice, wine vinegar, mint and orange peel and toss to distribute the ingredients evenly. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Let rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Makes 4-6 servings