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