These elegant appetizers come from Wolfgang Puck’s Los Angeles restaurant Spago. Laurie Ochoa wrote about the groundbreaking chef in “The King of LA,” part of our special Los Angeles issue (March 2010).

Sweet, seared beets are offset nicely by creamy and tart goat cheese.

Danish smoked herring, beet, and potato salad is terrific on whole wheat.

Sour cream and tart pickles complement earthy beets in this salad made by home cook Maija Kalnina. See the recipe for Pupiņi un Biešu Salāti (Beet and Bean Salad) » Back to Riga Revisited »

This hot pink lemonade gets its vibrant color and extra boost of sweetness from an unexpected source: beets.

Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams in Columbus, OH has some of the most amazing flavors around. In this recipe, the addition of roasted beets and poppy seeds lends the end product a festive hue and a bit of crunch. ‪

Earthy beets, cooked and chilled, and blended with yogurt, dill, and lemon, make for a bright, perfectly balanced borscht-inspired bowl.

This fresh, bright cocktail marries beet juice with bourbon and Esprit de June, a floral liqueur distilled from grape blossoms that’s available at most high-end liquor stores.

This recipe is inspired by rosl, a Jewish specialty from the Ukraine that calls for pickling beets in brine.

Earthy roasted beets are brightened by fresh orange zest and tangy balsamic for a clever appetizer, which looks beautiful presented in individual endive spears. To make this dish vegan, omit the Greek yogurt or use a non-dairy yogurt alternative.

Tart cherries bring sweet-sour flavor to this simple salad of herbs and roasted beets.

This salad is topped with a bright thick sweet-tart pickled beet dressing. Get the recipe for Farmer’s Salad with Beet Vinaigrette »

A honey-sweetened dressing of orange juice infused with lavender lends floral notes to a hearty lentil salad.

Beet Ketchup

Roasting beets and puréeing them with a little balsamic vinegar makes a sweet, earthy spread that’s a perfect base for slices of smoked salmon and peppery watercress.

This cooling yogurt mix can be served as relish, dip, salad, or side.

This stunning red salad gets its color from raw shredded beets, which mix with crunchy carrots and sweet-tart apples to make a crisp accompaniment for pork chops.