Beets ala Buvette

As you may know from this post, I adore beets. In soup, salads, juiced...heck, I'm toying with candying them over ice cream.  

On a recent outing to the French gastroteque, Buvette, in the West Village of Manhattan, I fell in love with a side beet salad which I have recreated below.  It's simple enough to let the sweet, earthy flavor of the beets shine through, with a perkiness from horseradish that awakens your tongue.  While Buvette’s version calls for hazelnuts, there were only pine nuts in my cupboard. 

I served this salad with grilled lemon chicken, sautéed greens and a Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc on our deck in Montauk.  A perfect evening with good friends.

Beet ala Buvette
Ingredients
  • 6 - 8 red or golden beets, trimmed and cleaned with skins still intact
  • ½ cup crème fraiche
  • 2 – 5 tablespoons prepared horseradish (yes, sometimes I cheat)
  • 4 tablespoons pine nuts
Directions
  • Bring a medium size pot of water, enough to cover the beets, to boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, and cook for 45 minutes - 1 hour until tender.  Drain the beets and let cool until you are able to handle.  Peel and slice the beets.
  • Over medium heat, toast the pine nuts in a skillet until fragrant and slightly, shaking frequently so as careful not burn. Let cool.
  • In a small bowl, mix the crème fraiche with the horseradish to taste.
  • Combine the beets, horseradish crème and pine nuts, mixing well to coat.
  • Enjoy. 
 
Warning: this dish is not a looker. Almost pepto in color, it's “bright” on the plate.  There was, however, a self proclaimed "beet-hater" at my table who asked for a second helping. Your mother was right...never judge a book by it's cover





No comments:

Post a Comment

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
 
BLOG DESIGN BY DESIGNER BLOGS