Armida Cooks!: beets

Thursday, April 03, 2008

Summer Borscht

Borscht, like gazpacho, is one of those soups you either love or you hate. I tend to love them because it's refreshing and so unexpected. As you may have guessed, borscht is a cold soup, although there's a warm version as well. But the sour cream and the creaminess of the avocado give this cold soup another dimension beyond the Kremlin. Anyhoo, I had two bowls with a glass of pinot gris and I didn't wake up until the next morning!!!Da, it was that good!

INGREDIENTS (serves 2)

3 medium fresh beets (about 1 pound without tops)
Kosher salt
1 cup low sodium chicken stock
1/2 cup sour cream, plus extra for serving
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon Champagne vinegar
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup medium-diced English cucumber, seeds removed
1/2 cup medium-diced avocado
1/2 tablespoon chopped scallions, white and green parts
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill, plus extra for serving

DIRECTIONS

Place the beets in a large pot of boiling salted water and cook uncovered until the beets are tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove the beets to a bowl with a slotted spoon and set aside to cool. Strain the cooking liquid through a fine sieve and also set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, whisk together 1 cup of the beet cooking liquid, the chicken stock, sour cream, yogurt, sugar, lemon juice, vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt, and the pepper.

Peel the cooled beets with a small paring knife or rub the skins off with your hands. Cut the beets in small dice or grate them. Add the beets, cucumber, scallions, and dill to the soup. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight. Just before serving add the diced avocado. Season, to taste, and serve cold with a dollop of sour cream and an extra sprig of fresh dill.

Thursday, August 02, 2007

Beet Salad with Pomegranate Dressing

I've been in a cooking funk lately, most likely because I've been putting in many hours at work and because Matthew is spoiling me everyday! Anyhoo, I wanted to try something totally new with beets. Yes, my darlings, lovely, crimson colored root beets. I really love the flavor of these herbaceous biennials especially after you roast them and all their natural sugars caramelize.

But another reason I wanted to try beets, was because I also had recently bought pomegranate molasses and I had no idea what to do with it. Then, by pure luck I watched a food tv show where pomegranate molasses was used on beets, so I said, what the heck, I'll give it a try!

The first thing you do is get yourself two or three large beets, scrub them clean and peel their outer skin. Place them in a foil packet with a little olive oil and salt and pepper and roast on 400 degrees for 40 minutes.

Once they are done, let them cool completely. Slice them into 1/8" slices (be careful because their intense beet juice can stain your clothes) and place them in the fridge to cool down more.

In the meantime, gather the rest of your ingredients:

Pomegranate molasses
Microgreens, such as alfalfa or bean sprouts (or for a spicy kick, try radish sprouts)
Olive oil
Ricotta cheese
toasted pistachios

To assemble: Place 3 or 4 slices of beets, slightly overlapping each other, on a plate. Drizzle a little olive oil and pomegranate molasses over them. In a small bowl, mix the microgreens with a tiny bit of salt and pepper and a little olive oil. Toss lightly. Place a small mound of the microgreens over the beets. Then add a few balls of ricotta cheese (you can easily form them with your hands). Lastly, add a few pistachios, drizzle a little more pomegranate molasses over salad and serve.