Candy-Striped Baby Beets

These lovely little beets—also called Chioggia beets—are as delightful to look at as they are to eat, provided you cook them fully; otherwise, they will have an unpleasant mineral taste, the result of the large amount of iron they contain. You can cook them whole, then peel and slice them, or peel and slice them raw, then cook them (in any case wear gloves); the two looks and tastes are different; judge for yourself. If mixed with tiny green beans or if Chinese long beans are curled around