This dish is served everywhere in Scandinavia and for a long time was a staple of restaurants throughout North America—though it seems to be disappearing along with the relish trays and the family restaurants that featured them.

　　

Ingredients

makes 6 to 8 servings

　　About 2 pounds medium beets

　　2 cups white vinegar

　　1 cup sugar

　　2 tablespoons kosher, canning, or other noniodized salt

　　2 bay leaves

　　1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

　　1 onion, sliced

　　Grated fresh or prepared horseradish to taste, optional

　　

Step 1

Remove all but an inch of the beet greens, reserving the rest of the greens for another use. Wash and scrub the beets, then simmer in boiling water to cover until tender, 30 to 60 minutes. Cool enough to peel off the skins. Cut the beets into 1/2-inch slices. (You can cook the beets a day or two in advance if you like; cut them up at the last minute.)

　　

Step 2

Bring the vinegar, sugar, salt, bay leaves, and cloves to a boil. Add the beets and the onion and cook for about a minute. Cool, then add the horseradish and refrigerate. Eat within 2 weeks, as a side dish or as a garnish.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.