balsamic beets & burrata
with toasty, oil-soaked bread
At precisely this time last week, I was covered in crumbs – but for once they weren’t from my toddler, but from biting into a buttery, crispy, absolutely perfect rose pistachio croissant in the streets of New York City (specifically from Librae Bakery, highly recommend).
Last weekend Matthew and I celebrated our 10 year wedding anniversary by taking our first trip sans-kids (thank you grandparents!) up to NYC, and it was honestly the very best. We slept in (!), ate insanely good meals, drank fancy cocktails, went biking through Central Park, got tattoos (!!), saw a Broadway show, read books, did some thrifting (I scored an epic Icelandic sweater), and overall remembered what it feels like to be a human without taking care of small children 24/7. As anyone with kids knows, we LOVE these small creatures with every fiber of our being, but a little time away can be wildly restorative.
Of course, as soon as you come home from a magical trip, the real world has a way of slapping you right back into reality. Needless to say, it’s been a week. I’m still processing everything that’s happened over the past few days, and I have no hot takes or words of wisdom. But. What I do have is a really simple, nourishing, and comforting recipe for roasted balsamic beets with creamy burrata cheese and toasty, oil-soaked bread… so there’s that? Once I hit send on this, I’m going to close my computer and turn off my phone and go sit outside and let my baby girl cover me in her crumbs. And this weekend? I’m going to binge the Great British Baking Show and catch up with girlfriends and maybe do a few of these adorable paint by number canvases. Fill your cups people! We’ve got work to do.
Keep reading for a new highly seasonal recipe for balsamic beets & burrata with toasty bread, available to ALL subscribers. For full access to my recipes *every* Friday, consider joining as a paid subscriber.
I’ll be honest, this fall I grew a really pitiful crop of beets. They are small and scraggly and the tops are completely eaten by bugs. But! That’s the beautiful thing about beets. Once they’re cooked and peeled (keep reading for my foolproof method for cooking beets), even the ugliest root transforms into a tender, vibrantly colored thing that is sweet and earthy and altogether wonderful.
This recipe can be eaten in bowl form (pictured above) or if you’re feeling a delicious toast situation, you can slather your toasted bread with creamy burrata cheese, then top it with the balsamic beets and garnish with flakey sea salt, pistachios, etc (pictured below, in the recipe section).
I know not everyone loves beets, so a heads up you can easily take this base recipe and swap out the beets for some roasted carrots, winter squash, etc. You do you!
The best (and easiest) way to cook beets…
Start by scrubbing the beet roots clean, then put them in a 9x13 pyrex dish (or other rimmed baking tray), and add 1 cup of water to the dish (the water is key, as it creates steam and makes the beets nice and juicy).
Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and roast for 1 - 1.5 hours, until the beets are tender enough to very easily pierce to the center with a small knife.
Allow the beets to cool, then use your hands and a clean towel to peel off the outer skin. Then enjoy them however you’d like! Cooked beets will store in your fridge for about 5 days.
Keep reading for today’s recipe, along with a 1-page PDF for easy printing.
PS – This week *everyone* gets access today’s recipe… if you enjoy this newsletter and want to receive a new hyper-seasonal recipe every Friday, consider becoming a paid subscriber. Paid subscribers also get access to my (ever-growing) full recipe archive, handy gardening guides, and monthly bonus content.
Balsamic Beets & Burrata with Toast
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
8-10 medium beet roots (1.5-2 lbs), tops removed, roots scrubbed clean but not peeled
1 cup water
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons maple syrup or honey
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup roughly chopped pistachios (or any other seed/nut you’d like)
¼ cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley (or any other refreshing green herb)
8 ounces burrata cheese (one big ball or two 4-ounce balls)
4 slices good bread (like sourdough or a country loaf), toasted
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Put 8-10 beet roots in a 9x13 pyrex dish (or other rimmed baking tray) and pour in 1 cup of water. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and roast for 1 - 1.5 hours, until the beets are tender enough to very easily pierce to the center with a small knife.
While the beets are roasting, make a quick balsamic vinaigrette by combining all the ingredients in a jar and shake until emulsified – 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 2 teaspoons maple syrup (or honey), ½ teaspoon kosher salt and a pinch ground black pepper.
Allow the roasted beets to cool completely, then use your hands to peel off the outer skin. Chop the peeled beet roots into bite sized wedges and put them in a small mixing bowl. Gently toss the beets in the bowl with ½ cup chopped pistachios, ¼ cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley, and the balsamic vinaigrette you made earlier. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed – you may want to add a bit more salt or pepper.
About 5 minutes before you’re ready to eat, remove 8 ounces burrata cheese from the fridge and place it on a plate lined with a paper towel to absorb extra liquid. I also recommend seasoning the burrata cheese with a generous pinch of kosher salt (or flakey sea salt).
Toast 4 slices of bread in a toaster (or other preferred toasting method), then drizzle each piece of bread with a generous amount of olive oil.
Divide the cooked beets into bowls and add a nice hunk of burrata cheese to each bowl, along with a big piece of toasty bread, OR you can make a delicious toast situation by slathering the burrata on your toasted bread and topping with the beets. Garnish with a few more chopped pistachios, some flakey sea salt, and an extra drizzle of olive oil.
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Happy Anniversary!
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