SERVES 4 TO 6
This lovely, vibrant dish, with its sweet tones and vinegary tang, comes from Alicante, a region south of Valencia with abundant fields of beets. Beet season is at its best during summer through fall, a time when beets are especially nice as a salad, tapa, or alongside a simple roasted chicken.
The beets can be boiled (about 45 minutes), but I prefer roasting them, which draws out a deeper, more nuanced sweetness. Note that roasting time varies from 30 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the beets. Begin checking for doneness after half an hour.
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C/gas mark 6.
2. Wash but do not peel the beets. Leave the root ends and at least 1 inch/ 2.5 cm of stems on them.
3. In a baking dish or deep, ovenproof pan, arrange the beets and pour 1½> cups/360 ml water around them. Cover with aluminum foil. Roast until tender, about 45 minutes. A knife tip poked into the center should enter with little resistance. Remove from the oven and let cool.
4. Trim the ends and slip off the skins. Halve the beets lengthwise and then cut them crosswise into slices slightly less than ¼ inch/½> cm thick. Place them in a wide bowl, cover with the vinegar, and season with salt and pepper. Let marinate for 1 hour.
5. Transfer the beets to a colander to drain for 10 minutes. (Do not rinse.) Arrange them on a platter or in a wide salad bowl. Drizzle with the olive oil, scatter over the parsley, and toss before serving.
