This Recipe is part of the Intimate Dinner Al Fresco Big Sur Menu
When Phil was a kid, the only beets he’d eaten came from a can, and despite his dad’s insistence that they were loaded with vitamins and minerals, Phil never really liked them. It wasn’t until he moved to California and was introduced to baby beets that beets became his thing. We’ve been working with organic baby beets for over ten years now and still love them—Phil’s dad proved to be right after all. We consider this recipe a “maximum utilization” dish, because we use the beet greens as well.
Ingredients
24 assorted baby beets, greens attached
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
6 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 small yellow onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, sliced
Pinch of hot red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons, plus 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
Goat Cheese Crostini
4 slices sourdough or country bread, cut about 1/2-inch thick
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon minced flat-leaf parsley
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 to 3 ounces soft goat cheese
For Serving
1 head frisée
2 tablespoons minced chives
2 tablespoons minced whole scallions
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
1. Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Trim the stems off the beets. Roughly chop the greens (you want 2 cups chopped), and wash them. Set the greens aside.
3. Wash the beets, making sure not to puncture their skin. Arrange them in a single layer in a roasting pan, season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and about 1/2 cup water. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and roast the beets until they are fork-tender, 35 to 45 minutes, depending on their size.
4. While the beets are roasting, prepare the greens: Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat and drizzle 2 tablespoons of the olive oil into it. Add the onions, garlic, and red pepper flakes, and cook slowly until the onions are translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the reserved beet greens, season them with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the stems are tender. Remove from the heat, stir in the 1 teaspoon vinegar, and transfer the greens to a dish to cool.
5. When the beets are tender, carefully remove them from the roasting pan while they’re still warm and use a kitchen towel to rub off the skins. (Choose your towel carefully—it’ll get stained.) Cut the beets in half, put them in a large sauté pan, and toss them with the 3 tablespoons vinegar and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Set the pan aside. (Leave the oven on.)
6. To prepare the crostini, brush both sides of each bread slice with the olive oil, sprinkle with the parsley, and season with salt and pepper. Arrange the slices on a cookie sheet, place it in the oven, and bake until lightly toasted, about 7 minutes. Remove the crostini from the oven, spread about 2 tablespoons of the cooked greens on each one, and top each with 1 tablespoon of the goat cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Keep the crostini on the cookie sheet and warm them up right before serving them by placing them in a 350° oven until the cheese is warmed but not melted (about 7 minutes).
7. Wash the frisée and snip the green tips off the leaves, leaving behind only the white and yellow part of the head. Cut the core off and tear the remaining leaves into medium pieces. Put the frisée in a salad bowl and reserve.
8. Reheat the beets over medium-high heat until warmed through, about 5 minutes. Add the warm beets to the frisée, sprinkle with the chives and scallions, and toss. Season the salad with salt and pepper to taste, and transfer it to a serving platter. Remove the crostini from the oven and arrange them around the beets.
Serve immediately.
Serves 4
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Recipe excerpted from The Big Sur Bakery Cookbook by Michelle Wojtowicz. Published by HarperCollins. Copyright 2009 by Michelle Wojtowicz. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher. Buy the book now!