Chef in the Market July 5, 2008
Roasted Beets & Farro With Fromage Blanc
David Siegel
Belly Timber Restaurant & Bar
For the Beets:
4-5 medium sized beets – any color, greens cut off with about 1 in of stems left attached
A handful of whole coriander and black peppercorns lightly toasted
healthy drizzle of good olive oil
Salt
For the Fromage:
1 C fromage blanc – cow, goat sheep…any will do!
1 tsp toasted coriander – buzzed to powder in the spice grinder
The zest of one lemon
1 Tblsp. Heavy cream
Salt & Pepper to taste
For the Salad:
Roasted Beets – cut in wedges
Prepared Fromage Blanc
½ C Farro – cooked in salted water, drained and cooled
1 head of fennel – shaved thin, fronds picked and reserved
1-2 medium sized carrots – shredded
About 2 tsp. good quality red wine vinegar (or your personal favorite vinegar)
1-2 Tblsp. Good olive oil
Coarse salt & pepper to taste
Any spur of the moment Farmer’s Market additions that will taste good in the salad
- To begin, place the beets and toasted coriander & pepper in a baking dish or casserole. Pour in enough salted water to cover the beets about half way and drizzle everything with olive oil. Cover with foil or a tight fitting lid and roast in a 325F oven for about two hours, or until the beets offer little resistance to a skewer or pairing knife. Let them cool a bit before peeling away the skin and stems.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the fromage blanc with buzzed spices, lemon zest and heavy cream. Mix with a whisk until the cheese has a smooth and spreadable consistency. Season with salt and pepper.
- In a slightly larger mixing bowl combine farro, fennel & fronds, carrots and any spur of the moment farmer’s market additions that will taste good in the salad. Toss it all first with the oil and then add the vinegar, salt and pepper. Add the beet wedges last so they do not stain all the other ingredients while you are tossing.
- On a cool plate, spread a healthy dollop of the fromage blanc mixture into a large circle. Serve the salad over the top of the fromage. Enjoy!