The Sweet Beet

I am a sucker for beets.

I love deep, dark red, earthy beets; Chioggia beets with their festive pink and white stripes; and the intense sunset colors of rainbow beets.

But golden beets are probably my favorites, both for their intense golden color and mild taste. Mark likes to roast chunks of golden beets with one red one together so that the color of the red seeps into the gold... like grenadine mingling with orange juice in a tequila sunrise.

Today, at the market, I got some big golden beets... enough to make today's soup recipe and still have some for a salad of arugula, roasted beets, and fresh goat cheese. A happy day.

I made this using what I had on hand, as well as things I got at the market. On hand: chicken stock, potato, onion, butter, light cream. From the market: golden beets, leeks, dill.

A variation on my mother's recipe for vichyssoise, this soup is pretty simple and straightforward - and, at the same time, elegant.

It makes a great chilled summer meal with a green salad on the side. We sprinkled some piment d'esplette on the soup to add a little flavorful heat. I was also able to get my favorite heirloom tomatoes – Cherokee Reds – to add to the salad.

Summer is leaving Tucson – and September is often the hottest month. But I don't mind, because the sun is bright, the garden lush, the market bountiful, and the fridge full of good food and wine!

~ David

Golden Beet Vichyssoise with Dill

3/4 pound golden beets, trimmed and scrubbed

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 of a large white onion, diced
2 small leeks, washed and sliced (white and light green parts)
1 medium russet potato - about 3/4 pound - peeled and sliced
4 cups chicken broth
freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1 cup light cream
piment d’esplette, optional


Preheat oven to 400°F. Place beets on a large sheet of aluminum foil; drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Wrap them tightly and roast for about 1 hour, then test them with a sharp paring knife. The knife should slide into the middle of the beet with ease. Remove beets from the oven and let cool until you are able to hold them. Slip off their skins, then quarter and slice them. Set them aside.


Melt butter in a 4-quart stockpot; add onion and leeks, and cook over low-to-moderate heat until they are softened and clear.
Do not brown them.

Add potatoes, reserved beets, and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 20-30 minutes until potatoes are very tender.
Season with salt and pepper.

Purée soup in batches using a blender; in one of the batches, add the dill all at once. Once puréed, pour soup into a glass or ceramic bowl. Add the light cream and stir to mix in cream and distribute the dill evenly. Chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.


Serve the soup in chilled bowls sprinkled with piment d’esplette, if desired.


Serves 6-8.


Notes: Roasting the beets concentrates the sugars and gives them a deeper, richer flavor. If you don't want to heat up the oven, you can simply peel and slice the beets and cook them with the potatoes. Red beets will yeild a spectacular pink soup.

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