Tonight we had chili for dinner, so I thought root vegetables and snap peas would complete the meal nicely.
Snap peas are quick to prepare. Unlike shelling peas, you eat the whole thing. The only prep is to top and tail them with a paring knife, and pull off the string down one side. Then I rinse them and cook them quickly (about 5 minutes depending on the size) in a covered pot with an inch of boiling water in the bottom. I eat my snap peas plain so I can enjoy the sweetness and the slight crunch, but I put butter and salt and pepper on the table in case Larry wants seasoning.
I had beautiful baby beets and turnips in the fridge. We had eaten the greens last week, so just the roots remained. The four beets were about 2" in diameter. I scrubbed them well, cut off the top and tail, and pared off any rough parts of skin. I could have peeled them, but I think the fiber in the skin is good for us. I then cut each beet into eighths.
The 10 turnips were quite tiny. I prepped them like the beets, cutting them into 1/2 to 3/4 inch pieces.
I tossed the beets and turnips separately in about a 1/2 tsp olive oil - enough to coat them - and sprinkled on some salt and pepper. I put them in a covered casserole and baked them at 400°F for 20 minutes, until they were tender when I poked them with a slender knife. Add extra salt and pepper to taste.
They were great side dishes to the chili, and I have a small container of leftovers that I will eat for lunch tomorrow. I love vegetables.
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