Serves 4-8
Inspired by fresh beets and chives in a summer farm delivery, this dish offers balanced flavors and textures—mellow/savory, sweet/salty, and crispy/soft. Even beet-haters may be converted!
Ingredients:
1 bunch of beets (about five beets), tops removed, scrubbed
2 Tbsp. olive oil, plus 1 ½ Tbsp. for goat cheese, and more for roasting beets and oiling crostini
Juice of ½ lemon
1 Tbsp. fresh chives, minced/snipped
8 oz. goat cheese, softened
Thin baguette, sliced into ¼” – ½” rounds
Salt and pepper
To Make:
To roast beets, place them in a loaf pan and drizzle with 2 Tbsp. olive oil. Pour about ¼ cup water into the pan. Season the beets with salt and pepper. Use aluminum foil to create a tight top for the loaf pan and place the pan in a 400° oven for about one hour. Check once and add extra water, if needed. After 50 minutes, carefully peel back the foil and pierce one of the bigger beets with a cake tester or thin knife to check if it’s cooked through.
Once cooked, set the beets aside to cool. Peel them and cut into ¼-inch dice. In a ceramic or glass bowl, gently mix together the diced beets, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper, and snipped chives. Set aside.
To prepare the goat cheese for easy spreading, mix it thoroughly with 1 ½ Tbsp. olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, mix again, and set aside.
To make crostini, spread bread rounds out on a cookie tray with edges. Oil rounds lightly on both sides. (You can brush the rounds lightly with olive oil or mist them with olive oil spray.) Sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides. Toast breads at 400° until lightly browned.
To Serve:
Spread each crostini with goat cheese in a flat layer, than place on serving plate. Spoon beets over crostini, about one heaping tablespoon per bread round. Garnish with extra chives, if you like. Serve immediately.