Beets. These gnarled vegetables with bristly tails aren't much to look at.  But dust off the roots and rinse off the leaves, and suddenly the picture brightens.  Beets are blazing with color and bursting with potential.

The thing about beets is you have the roots and the greens.  Both are edible, making this vegetable a culinary and nutritional treasure.

Renowned for their earthly sweetness, beetroots have the highest sugar content of any vegetable.  Nevertheless, they are low in calories, high in fiber, and rich in iron.  They may even defend against cancer (via antioxidant betacarotin) and birth defects (folic acid).

The red variety's flashy flesh, in shades of fuchsia and ruby, dazzles the eye and, yes, stains everything else.  Happily, cooks can protect hands with disposable gloves, and clothing with an apron.  Nonbleeding golden beets tend to be a hint less sweet but an be swapped into most recipes.

The leafy greens, which can stand in for their botanical cousin Swiss chard, are even more nutritious than the roots, with double the potassium, folic acid, calcium and iron.  The leaves can be sauteed with garlic in oil or cooked just like other greens.

As for the roots, sweet beets often find their balance when paired with tart flavors.  Our beet relish recipe (follows) gets its acidic nip from balsamic vinegar.

Do you know?  Compared with their canned counterparts, fresh beetroots have more potassium and folic acid, and about half the sugar and one-third the sodium--plus they are more flavorful.

BEET AND CUCUMBER RELISH WITH GRILLED ASPARAGUS

If you use two beets of different sizes, keep in mind that their cooking times may vary.  Tkae each of the oven as it's ready (knife tender).

• 2 medium red beets (about 1/2 pound without greens) tails and about 1 inch of stems left intact.
• 1 cup diced (1/4-inch pieces) peeled cucumber
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped shallot
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Coarse salt
• 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and peeled
• 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Wrap each beet in foil.  Roast until tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, 45 minutes to 1 hour.  When cool enough to handle, trim beets and rub off skins with paper towels, or peel beets with a paring knife.

Cut beets into 1/4-inch dice, and transfer to a medium bowl.  Stir in cucumber, shallot, vinegar, 1 teaspoon oil, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.  Refrigerate until ready to use, up to 2 hours.

Preheat a grill or grill pan until hot.  Toss asparagus with remaining teaspoon of oil and 1/2 teaspoon slat in a large bowl.  Grill asparagus, turning once, until tender, 4-8 minutes (cooking time will vary depending on thickness of spears).

Arrange asparagus on a platter, and let cool completely.  Finely chop basil, and stir into beet relish.  Using a slotted spoon, spoon beet relish over asparagus.

Per Serving:  63 calories; 3G Fat; 9 MG Cholesterol; 9 G Carbohydrate; 406 MG Sodium; 3 G Protein; 3 G Fiber

WE HOPE THE "BEET" INFO WAS HELPFUL!