Beet Time!

Although I missed out getting on my own CSA farm share this year, one of my good friends got one and has been generous in handing over her beets to me. I love beets just plain, cool, sliced and sweet, but this week I wanted to make something with them. I turned to Mark Bittman, a.k.a. "The Minimalist", and found exactly the answer to my beet question: Beet Rösti with Rosemary. I wasn't familiar with rösti before reading this recipe, but upon learning that it is a Swiss potato pancake, I'd like to become better friends.

Here is my very slight adaptation of Bittman's recipe:

5 medium/small beets, peeled
1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
salt & pepper
1/3 cup flour
2 TBS butter

3 TBS sour cream
2 tsp fresh horseradish

1. Grate the beets, either by hand or in a food processor. If you're grating by hand, wear an apron or clothes on which you wouldn't mind a purple stain. (I recommend the processor!)

2. Mix shredded beets with rosemary, S&P, and half the amount of flour. After incorporating, add the rest of the flour and toss. Bittman doesn't say why you should do this, but I would guess that this allows you to coat the shredded beets evenly and without flour clumps.

3. Melt 1 TBS of butter in a frying pan, heat over a medium flame until foam begins to subside. Press beet mixture into the pan with a spatula, let cook for 8-10 minutes over medium heat until crisp. It's important that the beets cook through, so don't rush it. Shake it around in the pan every so often, it does have a soft sizzle as it cooks. In the meantime, mix sour cream and horseradish in a small bowl, with a little black pepper if you like.

4. To flip, use the inverted plate method, and let cook for another 8-10 minutes.

5. Remove the rösti from pan, cut into fourths, and top with a dollop of the sour cream mixture. The spiciness of the horseradish pairs deliciously with the sweetness of the beets, and the sour cream matches just as perfectly as it does with a latke. Serve at room temperature.