Roasting the beets:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F / 220 C and reserve a baking sheet to the side.
2. Scrub the beets under cool water with a vegetable brush to remove dirt, pat dry, and trim the ends off.
3. Coat the beets in a thin layer of olive oil or avocado oil, rubbing the oil across the beets by hand until they are lightly coated.
4. Wrap each beet individually in tin foil and transfer to the reserved baking sheet. If you prefer not to use tin foil, you can transfer the oiled beets to a dutch oven with a lid rather than baking them on a baking sheet.
5. Roast for 40-60 minutes or until a toothpick is easily inserted into the flesh of the beet when unwrapped. Reserve beets to the side to cool slightly.
6. Once beets have cooled enough that you can safely touch them by hand, remove the foil (if used) and remove their skins. The skin should come off easily now that they have been roasted, but if you find that they need a bit of help, I like to run them under cool water while I push the skins off. It’s important that you remove all of the rough skin because it’s not pleasant to eat. Reserve the beets to the side.

Roasting the delicata squash:

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and reserve to the side.
2. Prepare the delicata squash by slicing both ends off. Discard the ends and slice the remaining in half length-wise. I find that the easiest way to do this is to stand it on one stable end and carefully slice in half top-down. Using a spoon, scrape out the seeds and discard them. Slice the remaining squash flesh into equal half-moons, about 1/4 inch wide.
3. Transfer the squash to the reserved baking sheet. You can lightly coat the squash in the olive oil (or avocado oil) by drizzling and then tossing by hand or using a basting brush to lightly brush the tops of the squash. Once oiled, sprinkle with salt and pepper.
4. You can either roast the delicata squash after the beets are completely finished roasting or once the beets are nearly complete, you can add the prepared squash to the oven. Roast at the current 425 degrees F / 220 C temperature for 20-25 minutes or until tender and slightly golden brown on both sides. Reserve to the side.

Candying the walnuts:

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet and reserve to the side.
2. In a skillet over medium heat, add the butter, sugar, water, walnuts, and a pinch of salt. Cook for about 4 - 5 minutes, stirring regularly with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon until the butter and sugar have melted and the nuts are starting to toast slightly. Nuts can burn very quickly, so it's important to transfer them to the baking sheet the moment they have finished cooking. Using the spatula or spoon, work quickly to separate the nuts before they cool and harden. Reserve to the side to cool.

For the horseradish cream:

1. In a small bowl, combine the sour cream and prepared hot cream horseradish until well combined. Reserve to the side until ready to assemble.

To assemble:

1. Slice the reserved beets into wedges and add a squeeze of the optional lemon juice, if desired. Lemon juice can help soften any bitterness in the beets, but is totally optional. Arrange the beets and reserved delicate on a platter and sprinkle with the reserved candied walnuts. some fresh dill, and a sprinkle of flaked sea salt if desired. I prefer to serve the horseradish cream on the side for people to dress their own plates, but you can also add it to the platter in dollops if preferred.