I get very excited about spring, especially on Vancouver Island, as it is the beginning of the season for the wide variety of produce grown on the Island—my favourite of which is the beet. While available year-round, I find that new baby beets in spring are sweeter and juicier. 

From the taste to the colour to the texture, beets are extremely versatile and can shine in any recipe from a starter to dessert—and they look good doing it! I like to serve beets as an antipasti, or as a contorni where they can be the star.  

There are a few ways to prepare beets. For a recipe like this, I like to cook the beets in ample salted water, and add a splash of vinegar to give them a little kick. It’s best to store the beets in their cooking water to keep them moist and increase their shelf life. Note: I also favour this method because it is difficult to overcook a beet this way.

Batch recipe for beets

INGREDIENTS

1 lbs beets
1 Tbsp salt
⅓ cup vinegar (red wine vinegar is best, but white vinegar or white wine vinegar also works)
water to cover beets 

METHOD

Rinse beets well to remove any dirt. Place beets in cold water, then add salt and vinegar. Place on high heat and bring to a boil. Then reduce to medium heat and simmer beets until they can be pierced with a knife with minimal resistance (approximately 1½ hrs, depending on the size of the beets). Note: you may need to top up the water as the beets cook to keep the beets submerged. 

Remove from heat and allow the beets to cool in the liquid. Once they are cool enough to handle, wear gloves and gently rub beets with your hands to remove the peels. Store the beets in their cooking liquid. 

Feta crema

INGREDIENTS

1 tub feta (500g) 
1 cup heavy cream

METHOD

Crumble feta by hand. Place in blender, or, if using hand blender, place in a long narrow receptacle. Blend until smooth. Adjust seasoning to taste. 

Candied pistachio crumble

INGREDIENTS

1 cup chopped pistachios
1 Tbsp butter
1½ Tbsp sugar
½ Tbsp corn syrup

METHOD

Preheat oven to 375°F. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt butter, sugar and corn syrup together on low heat. Cook together until mixture bubbles. Incorporate pistachios and mix together well. Cook on low heat, mixing continuously for 3 minutes. 

Spread mixture as thin as possible on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place in oven and bake for 7–10 minutes, until light gold in colour. 

Allow to cool completely, then use your hands to break it apart into shards. Place shards in a thick plastic bag and smash with a rolling pin to make small crumbs. (You can also accomplish this in a food processor if available—it’s not quite as fun though!)

To create the final dish

INGREDIENTS

2 cups cubed or wedged beets
⅓ cup cooking liquid from the beets
1½ Tbsp maple syrup
1 Tbsp butter
⅔ cup feta crema
2 Tbsp candied pistachio crumble
2–3 leaves basil for garnish

Procedure

Cut beets into desired shape, like a 1-inch cube or larger, or a wedge depending on the size of the beet.

Place beets and cooking liquid in a small sauté pan. On high heat, bring to a boil and reduce liquid by ⅔. Add maple syrup and continue to reduce until only enough liquid to coat the beets remains. 

Off the heat, add the butter and mix until it has completely melted in. Adjust seasoning to taste. 

While the beets are cooking, spread the feta crema on the bottom of a dish of your choosing. Create a crater in the center to place the beets into. Place warm beets into the feta crema crater. Garnish with pistachio crumble and basil leaves. Serve warm or room temperature.