Beets With Horseradish, Goat Cheese and Pecans
3-4 whole fresh beets; tops removed
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 cup mirin (sweet cooking sake)
1 cup pure olive oil
1/2 cup jar horseradish
salt and pepper
crumbled goat cheese or feta cheese
chopped, toasted pecans
Roast the beets:
Set the oven to 400 degrees. Lay a piece of foil in a small baking dish and put the beets on the foil. Drizzle lightly with olive oil. Gather foil around beets and crimp to seal. Roast for about 45 minutes, or until beets pierce easily with a paring knife.
Make the dressing: Place orange juice, mirin, olive oil and horseradish in a bowl and slowly whisk in the oil. Season with salt and pepper. Or, put it all in a jar together and shake like mad!
Allow beets to cool, then gently peel and trim them. Cut them into bite-size dice, about 3/4” square.
Arrange beets in one layer on a platter or individual plates or bowls. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spoon horseradish dressing liberally over beets. Sprinkle well with crumbled cheese and pecans.
Source: Elizabeth Wiley, chef-owner of The Meadowlark restaurant
Honey-Roasted Beets
31/2 pounds assorted fresh medium beets, trimmed
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Pierce the beets with fork tines. Arrange the beets and 3 cups water in a microwave-safe dish. Seal airtight with a double layer of plastic wrap. Microwave on high (100 percent) until crisp-tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the beets and set aside until cool to the touch. Peel off and discard skins. Randomly cut the beets into quarters and crosswise slices and place in a large bowl.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly coat a large nonstick baking pan with vegetable oil. In a small bowl, combine the honey, vinegar, butter, water, orange zest, thyme, salt, and black pepper; pour over the beets and toss. Transfer the coated beets to the prepared baking pan; roast, turning occasionally, until the juices thicken to a glaze and the beets are cooked through — 15 to 20 minutes. To serve, transfer the beets to a bowl and serve warm or at room temperature.
Source: “Country Living Flavors of Country Cookbook: 250 Delicious, Home-Cooked Favorites” from the editors of Country Living, via www.foodreference.com
You mean they don’t have to come from a can? Who knew?
Canned, pickled beets may have been the first introduction to the root vegetable that most of us remember — because that memory is firmly lodged in the “nightmares and other traumatic experiences” in our brains. But it’s high time to re-think the humble, versatile, nutritious — and yes, delicious — beet.
Many chefs and home cooks have done just that, and the results are growing ever more spectacular. And with freshly dug beets showing up at local farmers’ markets, and available on grocery store shelves, the raw materials for these recipes are positively beckoning.
When Elizabeth Wiley, chef-owner of The Meadowlark restaurant in Miami Twp., was asked to share a recipe on the Miami Valley Restaurant Association’s Web page, she chose her excellent recipe for Beets with Horseradish, Goat Cheese and Pecans. I’ve served that recipe to dozens of friends this summer, to unanimous rave reviews — even from those who thought they hated beets.
Wiley can relate. “I hated beets as a kid,” she said. “As an adult, too, in fact. I was a late convert — maybe that’s why I am such a beet evangelist.”
Wiley credited Kim Korkan, chef at The Winds in Yellow Springs, for “making me see that beets could be something other than pickled from a can.”
Wiley’s recipe and many others use fresh beets that have been roasted, which brings out their natural sweetness. Simply snip off the tops and root ends of the beets, put them into the center of a sheet of aluminum foil, drizzle with olive oil, wrap them in the foil and roast at 350 to 400 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour, until soft or until a knife or fork meets only a bit of resistance in the middle. Remove from the oven, unwrap and let cool, then slide the thin outer peels off with your fingers (rubber gloves will prevent staining of the hands and fingernails) or cut off the peel with a knife.
At this point, you can create your own simple recipe: Slice or chop the beets, then top with your favorite combination of salt and pepper, drizzle with a little Balsamic vinegar or your favorite salad vinaigrette, and sprinkle with fresh herbs such as thyme.
You’ll have no problem finding fresh beets. Dark red beets are the most common, but other varieties such as golden — which have a mellower and slightly less earthy flavor — and Chioggia, also called candy-cane or bulls-eye beets because of their red and white concentric rings, have shown up in recent weeks at the Second Street Market in downtown Dayton, which draws multiple produce vendors on Saturdays.
The beet tops, or greens, are quite edible and can be used in salads or can be sauteed in olive oil with salt, pepper and a bit of fresh minced garlic.
Giving fresh beets a try may not turn you into an evangelist — but there’s a good chance you’ll be converted.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2258 or mfisher@DaytonDaily
News.com.
Buying and storing tips
• Choose firm beets with smooth skins.
• If beet greens are attached, they should be crisp and bright.
• Because they leach moisture from the bulb, greens should be removed as soon beets are brought home.
• Store beets in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to three weeks.
• Just before cooking, wash beets gently so as not to pierce the thin skin.
• Peel beets after they’ve been cooked.
Source: Food Lover’s Companion by Sharon Tyler Herbst (Barron’s)
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