This is a wonderful complement to the root veggie latkes because it uses yet another root vegetable — beets — and the eye-catching color combo of beets and apples is an exciting alternative to sour cream. If you’re going to prepare the beets from scratch, why not double it, using two large beets or 12 ounces? The finished sauce will keep for a week in the fridge. You can make it sweeter or more tart by using sweetened or unsweetened applesauce.
1 beet, about 6 ounces, scrubbed, stem trimmed to ½ inch
1½ cups sweetened or unsweetened applesauce
Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Put beet in a shallow baking dish with ½ inch of water; cover with a lid or aluminum foil. Bake until a paring knife easily pierces the center, 30-60 minutes. You may need to add a little more water toward the end. Do not let the pan become dry.
Remove from the oven, uncover and allow to cool. When cooled, cut the top and tail off of the beet. Rub under running water to slip off the skin. Or hold beet in a paper towel and use it to remove the skin. Finely chop the beet; mix in a bowl with the applesauce.
To Make Ahead: Sauce may be refrigerated for one week.
Makes 2 cups sauce.
