It doesn’t matter who’s wrong or right, just beet it June 15, 2011

I am not a hot weather person…in fact that might be putting it lightly.

I enjoy cold weather!

Brisk Fall air…love it!

Rosy cheeks and cold nose…no problem!

Snow storm in the forecast…I don’t even run to the grocery store!

I know, crazy…but despite my love for the crisp temperatures, this is one of my favorite times of the year.

Do you know why?

Because the summer produce is starting to roll in!  So far we’ve seen lots of greens (lettuces, swiss chard, etc…), radishes, fresh aromatic herbs.  And this week…a bonanza of crops are coming in–carrots, broccoli, cabbage, cucumbers, basil, green onions, and beets!

Wait a second, beets?  Who below the age of 87 eats beets?  You know…they sort of taste like dirt!

I know, I know…I felt the same way (notice the tense and the italics for emphasis)!

But I have learned, as can you, that you can do some pretty amazing things with beets…and they’re so bright and vibrant in color which means they are full of good-for-you-things!

Here’s a couple of things we’ve done with beets:  Roasted golden beets on a spinach salad, pickled beets with pickled okra and cucumber.  But the way I’m going to share with you that my lovely, culinary wife created last week was a beet and goat cheese flat bread.  As an aside: Don’t even get me started on goat cheese.  If you haven’t tried it simply because it has the word goat in it–you are missing out!!  It isn’t strong.  It isn’t stinky.  It is oh so delicious!

This recipe is simple.  Something you can throw together as an appetizer before a party or just a side dish with almost any summer meal.

To make the flatbread crust, use any pizza dough recipe.

However, here’s our cheat!  For a quick simple crust go buy the packet of pizza dough crust mix from Kroger.  It’s on the bottom shelf near the rice mixes and cost about $0.56! It is really good and extremely simple.

But really, that is a secret, so don’t tell anybody!

Cut off the stem and ends of your beets and place on a foiled baking pan.  Roast them at high heat, like 375 degrees, for about 45 minutes or until tender.  Just drizzle a little olive oil on to roast.

Once your beets come out of the oven, put your crust in to bake.  Brush with olive oil and sprinkly with Kosher salt.  Bake as instructed or until golden brown.

Let the beets cool and peel them.  After roasting, the skin will basically fall off.  Then dice into large chunks and put into a bowl.  Toss the beets in a vinaigrette.  We suggest you just throw one together–about 1 T red wine vinegar, 1 T olive oil, salt and pepper to taste–and toss all together!

Spread the goat cheese on the crust and drop your chopped, tossed beets strategically in place!

Cut the flatbread in whatever shape you like, drizzle with a little more olive oil and salt to taste!  Check out our results:

Check out the color of the beets!  It is really such an amazing naturally occurring bright purple or magenta color!

So try it out!  Pick up some beets from the Farmer’s Market and see what creative dishes you can come up with.  You may just discover that you were wrong after all, so just beet it!!

If you’ve never been to one of our Farmer’s Market Suppers this unique cuisine is what they are all about.  We prepare our menu straight from the availability of the season.  Our first supper of the season is right around the corner, June 25th.  Grab a group and join us.  Reservations start at 6:30 and you can call the store (446-3311) or email us (info@houseblendonline.com) for reservations or more information.

Have a great day!

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