Monday, June 20, 2011

Beet and green garlic stacks

These look like candy but they're perfect for a savory first course! And, ok, maybe they taste a little like candy too since the beets and green garlic are roasted to sweetness and topped with a tangy lemon-honey drizzle.I used 4 smallish beets, no bigger than my punching fist. And for a comparison, my punching fist is smaller than a spaniel's head, just so it's all perfectly clear.Prick the beets lightly all over with a fork and let them roast at 400 for about 30 - 45 minutes. It will depend on size, but since you now know to look for beets smaller than a small dog's head, I think it will be fine.While they are roasting, peel the outermost layer from 3 bulbs of green garlic and trim the ends.After beets have a roasting head start of about 20 minutes, go ahead and add in the whole bulbs of green garlic plus 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2-3 tablespoons white wine (or stock or water) and some salt and pepper. Pop them back into the oven to finish out their time.Meanwhile you can make the sauce to drizzle over top. Half a lemon, 1 tablespoon each of honey and olive oil, plus just a pinch of grated fresh ginger--maybe a teaspoon or less. You can omit this if you don't have fresh ginger root on hand--it's totally not worth it to run out and buy specially for such a tiny amount. I keep mine in the freezer so I always have some handy, by the way. Just chop it up into 1" chunks and freeze the pieces in a ziploc.This honey is still the best I've ever had--we got it from the farmer's market up in Blue Ridge last year... that has my vote for our most enjoyable mini vacation of all time.Mix up the honey, lemon juice, olive oil and ginger in a little dish with a teeny bit of salt and pepper.
Your beets are roasted and soft!Let them cool slightly so you don't burn your paws, then peel them--the skins should slide right off. Slice into thin rounds.Stack the rounds and top with a roasted green garlic bulb...And drizzle with the honey-lemon sauce.Pretty and dramatic! I like it.

1 comment:

Francesca said...

I WANT.

also, your plates are adorbs.