Roasted Beets — The Earthy Anchor of a Tender Season

A good week. James and I are settling into the co-founder rhythm. He has reorganized the office filing system. I have moved the recipe test kitchen to a corner near the window. Mina has cleaned the dry goods storage. Tess has upgraded our customer service software. Grace has started bringing small jars of her own pickles for the team to try at lunch. We are becoming, imperceptibly, a real company with a real culture.

Box Two is scheduled to ship February 20. Recipe cards include: the two new ones (kongnamul guk, Taiwanese beef noodle), plus a returning favorite (doenjang jjigae), plus the continuation of the kimchi card with a variation (white kimchi). Six cards total. Customers have been asking about a permanent subscription; we are considering it. Our current plan is: one-off boxes, each box a "chapter," each chapter with a theme. Box Two is "winter warmth." Box Three, shipping in April, is going to be "spring greens." I want to build them like issues of a magazine.

Priya stopped by Wednesday after her work. She looked around the office. She said, "Stephanie. This is working." I said, "It is working." She said, "When do you want me to be on the advisory board officially?" I said, "Next month. I am setting it up." She said, "Good. Put me on. Bill me zero and send me a box." I laughed. I will put her on. I will send her a box. I will also put her name in the About page of the website.

Jisoo called on Sunday. A quiet call. We talked about her neighborhood, my neighborhood, the weather. She said at the end, "Dahee. I have a question." I said, "Yes, umma." She said, "Are you thinking about children?" I paused. I said, "Yes." She said, "Good. I would like to be a halmoni." I said, "Umma. We are trying soon. Not yet. Soon." She said, "I will pray." I said, "Pray."

Karen is stable. She had a nice week. David took her to a play at a small theater in Bellevue. She ate at a restaurant afterwards. She slept twelve hours. She called me the next day and said, "I am tired but happy. Happy tired is the best tired." She is right.

Dr. Yoon: we talked about the baby plan. She said, "How do you feel?" I said, "Ready and scared." She said, "That's about right." She said, "You will be a good mother. You know how, even if you do not believe it yet." I wrote that down too. I have three of her sentences on my desk now. They are becoming a kind of altar.

The recipe this week is white kimchi — a milder, non-spicy version of kimchi, fermented with pears, apples, jujubes, ginger, garlic, and salt. No gochugaru. The result is a clean, sweet, refreshing ferment — like a cross between kimchi and sauerkraut with stone fruit notes. I have been working on it for weeks for Box Two. This one is, Jisoo told me, the kimchi her mother made for her when Jisoo was pregnant with Jihoon. It is the kimchi for tender stomachs. I am putting it in the February box because February is tender. So are we. All of us, always.

The white kimchi is on the recipe card for Box Two, and it belongs there — it is the heart of the chapter. But while I was testing and tasting and adjusting that kimchi for weeks in the corner near the window, the thing I kept reaching for to eat alongside it was a small plate of roasted beets: quiet, sweet, earthy, no fuss. They have the same patience as a good ferment. They do not ask for attention. They just become what they are, slowly, in heat, until they are ready. That felt right for this season — for all of us.

Roasted Beets

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 55 min | Total Time: 1 hr 10 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 4 medium beets (about 1 1/2 lbs), scrubbed and trimmed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon honey
• Flaky sea salt, to finish (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat. Heat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Tear off four squares of aluminum foil, each large enough to wrap one beet.
2. Dress the beets. Place one scrubbed, trimmed beet in the center of each foil square. Drizzle each with a small amount of olive oil, a pinch of salt and pepper, and one sprig of fresh thyme.
3. Wrap and roast. Fold the foil up around each beet into a sealed packet. Place all packets on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast until a knife slides into the center of the largest beet with no resistance, about 50—60 minutes depending on size.
4. Cool and peel. Open the foil packets carefully — steam will escape. Let beets rest until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes. Using a paper towel or your fingers, rub the skins off gently. They will slip away easily. Slice or quarter the peeled beets.
5. Finish and serve. Whisk together the balsamic vinegar and honey in a small bowl. Drizzle over the warm beets, toss gently to coat, and transfer to a serving plate. Finish with a pinch of flaky salt if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 115 | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Carbs: 13g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 310mg