My Pantry Shelf

Adventures come few and far between for me these days.  It is not that I am not loving my maternal/ professional/ domestic life, but I do feel the nostalgic for the days when I could take off on a moment’s notice for some incredible journey- usually with twenty bucks in my pocket and only the vaguest of plans.  So when my husband’s parents offered to watch our kids for a weekend so we could fly away (Yes, on a plane, with no children!) for a friend’s wedding, we jumped at the opportunity.

We filled the weekend with all sorts of adult outings and completely refrained from anything even hinting at a whine.  It was fabulous. The wedding  itself was  special in just about every way.  I was especially smitten with the food.  Every dish served was beautiful and inspired.  One dish in particular though, struck me with its intriguing taste and unique presentation, the beet salad.

Beets with Pistachios and Mint is my attempt to recreate the dish that impressed me at the wedding.  It is incredibly simple: roasted beets marinated in mild vinegar served atop a small pool of marscapone and topped with roasted pistachios.  The beet juice mixes every so slightly with the marscapone, so that when you scoop up a serving the colors mix into a beautiful swirly pink.  The pistachios add a pleasant crunch and the mint perfumes the dish.  It is a perfect simple side dish for summer.  Roast the beets in advance and let them marinade in the refrigerator during the day.  When you are ready for dinner arrange the dish and serve.  My adventure is over, but at least I can remember our laughs and the good food we ate.

Beets with Pistachios and Mint

serves 4

1 pound beets

1/4 cup champagne vinegar

1/4 cup shelled roasted pistachios

1/2 cup marscapone (creme fraiche also works well)

2 tablespoons thinly sliced mint leaves

salt

freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Wash the beets, trim off the leaves, and set on a baking tray.  Roast beets for 45 minutes or until a sharp knife can slide into the beet with just a little resistance.  Remove from oven and cool.

Once beets are cool, peel them, cut them into wedges,  and toss with vinegar.  Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to overnight.

When ready to serve, spread the marscapone on the bottom of a bowl, top with beets.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.  Toss pistachios and mint over the top.

Here is a printer-friendly version of the recipe:  Beets with Pistachios and Mint

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