Dear Beets,

First things first, I love your color, specially when you come in the aptly name “beet red”. I’ll be honest, sometimes when I peel you guys, I don’t use protection (i.e. gloves) because I love the dark fuchsia stains you leave behind on my hands. Every single time, I’m in awe that such an intense color comes straight from nature and without any additions of Red #41 or Yellow #3.

Now, about your name in Spanish. “Remolacha” just doesn’t do you justice! And honestly, back home I only saw you as an addition to potato salad when I wanted to eat pink foods. Now, you’ve become almost a staple in the Murray household and kitchen. I love shaving you really thin and raw, and serving you drizzled with the best olive oil I can find. I love roasting you with nutmeg and cloves with a touch of brown sugar for a comforting side dish. And just in case I can’t find you in the grocery store, I pickle you in a fast and easy way!

Today I’m sharing this recipe that I made with you guys at work. What’s a tartine? I guess it’s anything delicious atop crusty bread. I’ll be honest, the beets I used were leftover from a dish M. makes at work and I didn’t want to see you guys go to waste. This was what you call “a Scooby”; a snack we make during service and munch on while waiting for orders (referring back to a Scooby Snack, from Scooby Doo!)

Oh and Beets? You are loved immensely, thus the Food Network has decided to include you in the Summer Fest! Congrats Beets, you are this weeks winners!

Love,

Marnely Rodriguez-Murray

Ingredients

2 large beets washed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 medium carrots washed and peeled
1 cup crumbled goat cheese
oil & vinegar I used Fig Balsamic and Olive Oil
1 fresh baguette sliced and toasted

Instructions

Heat oven to 350F.
Cut two squares of aluminum foil (large enough to cover beets) and cut both ends of the beets. Sit each beet on a foil square and drizzle with salt and oil. Wrap in foil and place in baking sheet. Bake for 35-40 minutes, depending on size.
In the meantime, chop carrots to a manageable size and drop into food processor. Process until it's a bowl of tiny carrot specs. Add crumbled goat cheese and pulse to blend.
When beets are ready, remove foil and peel. Cut into small dice and season with your favorite oil & vinegar combination. Toss to coat and reserve.
Toast bread, spread with carrot goat cheese and top with chopped roasted beets. Sprinkle with fresh herbs and serve.

Notes

This is the perfect way to enter a meal, with the sweet flavors from the beets and the salty goodness of the goat cheese. Get the best bread you can for this, it makes a huge difference!

Need more recipes using beets? Check out these #summerfest posts all around the Internet:

Jeanette’s Healthy Living: Roasted Beet and Apple Walnut Salad With Honey Yogurt Dressing
What’s Gaby Cooking: Beet, Corn and Quinoa Salad
Chez Us: Pickled Beets
From My Corner of Saratoga: Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese Napoleon
Feed Me Phoebe: Spaghetti With Beet Greens and Blistered Tomatoes
Virtually Homemade: Orange Roasted Chicken With Beets and Green Beans
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Roasted Beet and Avocado Salad With Meyer Lemon Marmalade Vinaigrette
Thursday Night Dinner: Beet, Carrot and Ginger Soup
HGTV Gardens: Garden-to-Table: Beets
FN Dish: Better Beets

12 Comments

When I married my husband, there were only two things that man wouldn’t eat: asparagus and beets. Over the years I have managed to knock that list back to one item. You guessed it: Beets. I love them so when he travels, beets are often on the menu. Roasted, pickled, slice thinly in salads. In fact, cooked and thickly sliced in salads. As far as I am concerned, there just isn’t a bad beet. I love your roasted beet tartine with goat’s cheese! Now to check the traveling schedule!

Stacy

You are so cute! I would say to beets, thank you for coming into my life finally!!! Your recipe sounds full of color and gorgeous flavor! Sending hugs, Terra

This looks so delicious! Great photo!

this looks so delicious! I wish I had it for lunch today!

como megusta la remolacha y el queso de cabra me encanta, con el mejor aceite de oliva y una crocante tostada delicioso , como todo lo que haces . tu mami

I love anything with beets and goat cheese!

Cute : )
This reminds me of how I sometimes talk to my vegetables…oh wait, I shouldn’t have admitted to that!
When we love something that much there’s nothing wrong with some adoring words every now and then. Perhaps the csa beets I just brough home will end up on a tartine as well!

Ha…love this post. You are too funny. I am in love with beets too. Just dehydrated a bunch from my garden to pulverize and make into beautiful pink pasta. I need to try this recipe though…goat cheese and beets are a match made in foodie heaven!

xo
Heather

What a lovely letter you’ve written to beets 🙂
And the recipe looks divine… as always.

I found golden beets at the market this year and they, too, were delicious served chilled, topped with a little Roquefort cheese sauce and pecans. I’ve yet to try a beet salad I didn’t like.

Long live the beets!

That looks delicious!!

Roasted Beets & Carrot Goat Cheese Tartine