don't like beets? try this!
Yep, another beet post. But before I get started, I first need to state that I am - from this point onward - refusing to speak to anyone who boils beets. Boiling beets is not okay; boiling beets is not good; and boiling beets is part of the reason many people do not like beets.
You don't like beets. You're sure of it. You've seen them. Maybe you've tried them. And they were squishy and funny tasting and maybe cold.
Or maybe they were just funny looking:
If you don't like beets, I have 2 words for you:
1. Organic
2. Goat Cheese
Before you right off beets, please try organic beets and try them paired with goat cheese. Really. This is a classic pairing and for good reason. Kind of like peanut-butter and chocolate. Or peanut-butter and jelly. Or peanut-butter and just about anything.
Here's what you need (quantities approximate):
1 tbs olive oil
onion or shallot
1-2 large beets with greens
chicken stock or veggie stock or white wine or water ~ 1/2 cup liquid
1 lemon (meyer is good)
pasta - your choice
goat cheese (optional, but really good - try it!)
vanilla-infused olive oil (optional)
champange vinegar (optional)
Here's how you do it:
Remove greens from beets and clean both. Cut beets into bit-size pieces and loosely chop greens - keep separate. Heat olive oil in a large pan. Add chopped onion and saute. When soft (2 minutes or so), add beet pieces. Saute the beets until they are just starting to get browned. Then add about 1/2 cup of stock or wine and juice of 1/2 lemon. Put lid on pan and let steam for 2-5 minutes. Start pasta cooking. When pasta is 3 minutes from done, add beet greens, a tsp or 2 of lemon zest and the second half of the lemon juice to the other beets. Beets should now be soft. Stir a bit and replace lid.
Drain pasta and plate. Drizzle with a little olive oil or vanilla-infused olive oil. Top with beet mixture (may need to stir again), crumble goat cheese on top, and trickle a small, small amount of champagne vinegar on top. Serve. Add salt & pepper at the table as needed.
You don't like beets. You're sure of it. You've seen them. Maybe you've tried them. And they were squishy and funny tasting and maybe cold.
Or maybe they were just funny looking:
If you don't like beets, I have 2 words for you:1. Organic
2. Goat Cheese
Before you right off beets, please try organic beets and try them paired with goat cheese. Really. This is a classic pairing and for good reason. Kind of like peanut-butter and chocolate. Or peanut-butter and jelly. Or peanut-butter and just about anything.
Here's what you need (quantities approximate):1 tbs olive oil
onion or shallot
1-2 large beets with greens
chicken stock or veggie stock or white wine or water ~ 1/2 cup liquid
1 lemon (meyer is good)
pasta - your choice
goat cheese (optional, but really good - try it!)
vanilla-infused olive oil (optional)
champange vinegar (optional)
Here's how you do it:
Remove greens from beets and clean both. Cut beets into bit-size pieces and loosely chop greens - keep separate. Heat olive oil in a large pan. Add chopped onion and saute. When soft (2 minutes or so), add beet pieces. Saute the beets until they are just starting to get browned. Then add about 1/2 cup of stock or wine and juice of 1/2 lemon. Put lid on pan and let steam for 2-5 minutes. Start pasta cooking. When pasta is 3 minutes from done, add beet greens, a tsp or 2 of lemon zest and the second half of the lemon juice to the other beets. Beets should now be soft. Stir a bit and replace lid.
Drain pasta and plate. Drizzle with a little olive oil or vanilla-infused olive oil. Top with beet mixture (may need to stir again), crumble goat cheese on top, and trickle a small, small amount of champagne vinegar on top. Serve. Add salt & pepper at the table as needed.
what if I dont like beets or goat cheese?
ReplyDeleteDear Anonymous - this is a good point. But get this - I don't like goat cheese either. But it can be amazing in certain ways and this is one of them. It pairs really well with the beets. No idea why that is. You could try feta. But I'm not a big feta fan, either, unless it's in the right combination, such as a greek salad.
ReplyDelete