You Can't Beet That

This is a glorious flavor combination and the color couldn't be more gorgeous. The sweetness of the apples echoes that of the beets and the blue cheese doesn't overpower the quartet. I would recommend cooking more than just the two beets as long as you have the oven cranked up to 400 for an hour (or bake the french fries at the same time).

Beet and Blue Cheese Spread

(Adapted from Cooking Light)

Makes 3 cups

2 beets (about 1 pound)

2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into chunks

1/4 cup (1 ounce) blue cheese (I used gorgonzola dulce)

1 tablespoon horseradish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Leave root and 1 inch of stem on beets. Scrub them and wrap individually in foil. Bake for 1 hour. Cool. Rub outer skin of beets off under cold running water. Trim off beet roots and stems. Quarter beets and place in the container of the Vita-Mix along with all the other ingredients. Start on variable #1, increase to 7 and run for about 30 seconds. Use the tamper if necessary to combine. Chill spread.

Serve with pita chips and crudites.