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Beets, rosemary and fresh ricotta
Beets are among the sweetest vegetables to grow. Their deep, earthy flavour and natural sweetness make them versatile too— crisp, raw, roasted, caramelized, or brightly puréed. This recipe balances three beet types with rich, freshly made cheese and hearty whole grains. Freekeh is made from green durum wheat that’s fire-roasted to burn off chaff, then sun-dried and cracked, giving it a smoky toasted flavour to go with its memorable name.
YIELDS
4
TO
8
Ingredients
Fire Grains
- 1 cup (250 mL) cracked freekeh
- 2 1/2 cups (625 mL) water
- 1/4 teaspoon (1 mL) sea salt
- 2 bay leaves
Beets
- 1 pound (450 g) red beets and their greens, washed, divided
- 2 pounds (900 g) yellow or heirloom beets (or more red beets) and their greens, washed, divided
Finish the Dish
- 2 tablespoons (30 mL) vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (7 mL) sea salt, divided
- Lots of freshly ground pepper
- 3/4 cup (175 mL) water, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) of your favourite hot sauce
- 2 tablespoons (30 mL) extra- virgin canola or olive oil
- 1 tablespoon (15 mL) sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
- 2 cups (500 mL) or so Fresh Ricotta with Rosemary
Directions
Make the Fire Grains
- Combine the freekeh, water, salt, and bay leaves in a small saucepan. Bring to a full boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to a slow, steady
- simmer, cover tightly, and continue cooking until the water is absorbed and the grains are tender, 20 minutes or so. Without uncovering, remove from the heat and let sit for 10 minutes. Reserve or transfer to a resealable container and refrigerate for up to three days.
Roast the Beets
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Turn on the convection fan if you have one. Set aside one of each beet type for use raw, two or three total. Reserve one pound (450 g) of red beets for the purée. The remaining red and yellow beets are for roasting. Reserve any beet greens for wilting.
- Trim and reserve the stems from the roasting beets. Transfer the beets into quarters to a 13 x nine-inch baking dish. Toss the beets with the vegetable oil, half a teaspoon of salt, and pepper. Add one-quarter cup of the water and cover tightly with foil. Bake until the beets are tender, 30 minutes or so. Remove the foil and continue baking, gently shaking the pan occasionally, until the water evaporates and the beets are lightly caramelized, 15 minutes or so more. Remove from the oven and rest the beets in the baking dish until cool enough to handle
Make the Beet Purée
- Trim and reserve the stems from the reserved one-pound (450 g) red beets.
- Wearing gloves to minimize staining, peel the beets and juice half of the beets using a juicer until you have half a cup of juice. Strain the liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a cup or bowl. Discard the pulp. Quarter the remaining beets. Transfer the beets, beet juice, cardamom, hot sauce, and half a teaspoon of salt to a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Cover tightly, reduce the heat, and slowly simmer until tender, 15 minutes or so. Transfer to a high-speed blender. Add the canola oil and sherry vinegar. Purée until silky smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning. Reserve or transfer to a resealable container and refrigerate for up to three days.
Finish the Dish
- Dice the reserved beet stems. Place the stems and the beet leaves in a saucepan with the remaining half a cup of water and half a teaspoon of salt. Bring to a steady simmer over medium heat, then cover tightly and cook until tender, five minutes or so. Remove from the heat. Use a slotted spoon to remove the beet stems and leaves from the saucepan as you serve.
- Peel and thinly slice the reserved raw whole beets. Spoon the beet purée onto a serving platter or individual plates. Arrange the roasted beets, raw beet slices, and wilted beet greens with spoonfuls of the fire grains and fresh ricotta with rosemary. Enjoy!
