The origins of this dish remain disputed. Some claim it honors Harvard University, the sauce matching the school's crimson pride. Others trace it to a tavern called Harwood's in England. I care less about the etymology than the result: tender beets suspended in a glaze that balances sweet against sour with the precision of a tightrope walker.

Harvard Beets appeared in American cookbooks around 1910 and never left. They graced church suppers and holiday tables throughout New England for decades, then quietly retreated as canned vegetables fell from fashion. This is a shame. Done properly, with beets you've roasted yourself and a sauce you've tasted and adjusted, this dish deserves its place at any gathering.

The technique could not be simpler. A slurry of cornstarch, sugar, and vinegar thickens into a glossy sauce that clings to each slice. The butter stirred in at the end rounds the sharp edges and adds body. What emerges is a side dish of surprising elegance from humble roots.