Chilled Beet Salad

This salad stirs long-ago memories of my childhood, when my mother sometimes served it with dinner. 

Chilled Beet Salad:

5 or 6 medium beets, skins on

2 tsp. (10 mL) granulated sugar

Dash freshly ground coarse salt

2 tsp. (10 mL) apple cider vinegar

2/3 c. (160 mL) sour cream

Dusting of fresh parsley, finely chopped

Slice and discard roots from beets. Slip into just enough boiling water to cover beets entirely. Cook 15-to-20 min., or until a small, sharp knife is able pierce beets through. 

Remove the skins while the beets are hot by skewering them with a fork and peeling the skin off with the same small, sharp knife. Remove the skins while the beets are cold by plunging them into ice water once they’re cooked, after which you can rub them gently with a clean cloth as the skins slip off. Which method is easier? You decide. 

Halve and quarter skinned beets, cutting into 3/8-inch slices. Cover and chill thorough. In small bowl, combine sugar, salt, apple cider vinegar, and sour cream, mixing gently but thoroughly. Transfer chilled, sliced beets to medium work bowl. Add sour cream mixture, combining gently but well (see Note). Transfer to serving bowl. Sprinkle with parsley. Serves 4.

Note: A rice paddle is the perfect tool for this job.

Skin hot beets.

Add combined sugar, salt, vinegar, sour cream.

Toss gently, but well.

Transfer to serving bowl; garnish.