10 medium beets (about 2 inches in diameter)
5 or 6 oranges
1/4 cup raspberry vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 to 2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
Finely minced fennel tops, for garnish
Preheat oven to 375°F, and line a baking dish with foil. Trim the leaves from the beets, place them in the dish, and cover with foil. Bake until they are soft enough to be pierced easily with a fork (about 1 hour). Set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, use a medium-sized serrated knife to cut the peel from the oranges, then section them over a bowl to catch all the juice. (To section an orange, just cut with a sawing motion up and down the membranes to release the sections. Squeeze the remaining juice into the bowl, and discard the membranes.)
When the beets are cool enough to handle, use a small, sharp paring knife to peel them, then cut them first in half, and then into thin half-moon-shaped slices. Transfer to a medium-sized bowl, and add the vinegar, salt, garlic, and orange sections with all their juice. Stir until well combined.
Add the sliced fennel and stir again. Cover tightly and chill until serving time.
Serve topped with a light sprinkling of the minced fennel tops.
We swapped out the garlic for ginger. YUM.
