norgeskog,
i have a special place in my heart, er, i guess that would be tummy (sorry , i mean stomach in adult speak), anyway, i love beets. pickled are always a favorite. borscht is, well, eastern european power food. but my absolute favorite is grated with fresh horseradish. my mil introduced me to this many easters ago, and it is an absolute must have now.
alas, this is one of the dishes we are now trying to reproduce, since she kept her recipe a secret to her grave. dw thinks she just boils, cools, skins, and grates the beet with a box grater. then she grates in a fresh horseradish root. you should be able to get fresh horseradish root in your farmer's market, if they're as good as they sound.
now comes the mystery. we are pretty sure she added a little vinegar; not sure if it was white or apple cider vinegar. then she added some herbs; possibly bay leaves. did she boil the mixture? did she add sugar?
we have decided to try different variations this year when my beets come to fruition in the garden.
but even plain, with just grated beets and horseradish, on a bed of greens with blanched asparagus, and a hunk o' farmers cheese and a crusty loaf, and a hearty red makes a good meal.