Beets with Orange and Almonds

Ingredients

 * 1 lb. beets
 * Juice of 3 oranges
 * Zest of 1 orange
 * 1/4 C. unsalted butter
 * salt
 * Freshly ground pepper
 * 1/3 C. slivered almonds, toasted
 * 1/2 orange, for garnish
 * 2 T. coarsely chopped chervil or 1 to 2 t. chopped fresh tarragon, for garnish

Directions

 * 1) Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Trim the leaves off the beets, leaving about an inch of stem. Set the beets in a roasting pan. Bake until the skins are crinkled and loose and a sweet beet smell permeates the kitchen. Medium-sized beets should take about 1-1/2 to 2 hours, small ones about 1-1/2 hours.
 * 2) Peel the beets and cut into 3/8-inch cubes. Place the orange juice, orange zest, beets and butter in a shallow saucepan or a skillet. Cook over low to medium heat for 15 minutes—stirring occasionally—then raise the heat to high to reduce the cooking liquid, about 2 minutes.
 * 3) The beets should be coated with an orange glaze. Taste. salt if necessary, and add plenty of freshly ground pepper. Turn into a warm serving dish and top with the almonds. Squeeze the orange half over the cooked beets and garnish with the chervil. Serve immediately.