Big Sur Bakery Cookbook - Michelle Wojtowicz [53]
When the beets are tender, carefully remove them from the roasting pan while they’re still warm and use a kitchen towel to rub off the skins. (Choose your towel carefully—it’ll get stained.) Cut the beets in half, put them in a large sauté pan, and toss them with the 3 tablespoons vinegar and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Set the pan aside. (Leave the oven on.)
To prepare the crostini, brush both sides of each bread slice with the olive oil, sprinkle with the parsley, and season with salt and pepper. Arrange the slices on a cookie sheet, place it in the oven, and bake until lightly toasted, about 7 minutes. Remove the crostini from the oven, spread about 2 tablespoons of the cooked greens on each one, and top each with 1 tablespoon of the goat cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Keep the crostini on the cookie sheet and warm them up right before serving them by placing them in a 350º oven until the cheese is warmed but not melted (about 7 minutes).
FOR SERVING:
1 head frisée
2 tablespoons minced chives
2 tablespoons minced whole scallions
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Wash the frisée and snip the green tips off the leaves, leaving behind only the white and yellow part of the head. Cut the core off and tear the remaining leaves into medium pieces. Put the frisée in a salad bowl and reserve.
Reheat the beets over medium-high heat until warmed through, about 5 minutes. Add the warm beets to the frisée, sprinkle with the chives and scallions, and toss. Season the salad with salt and pepper to taste, and transfer it to a serving platter. Remove the crostini from the oven and arrange them around the beets. Serve immediately.
Photographs by Sara Remington
Photographs by Sara Remington
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Heirloom Tomato Salad with Microgreens, Burrata, and Balsamic-Basil Dressing
We grew up on Jersey tomatoes and we love them, don’t get us wrong. But when we first tried California heirloom tomatoes, we were immediate converts. Their colors are vivid—we get everything from yellow to orange, pink, and even green—and during the summer their flavor is out of control. Plus, we’re near a lot of local growers, which means we’ve got access to the freshest and tastiest of them all. For this recipe, we use Eric and Jasmine’s microgreens and burrata, a fresh Italian cheese made from mozzarella and cream.
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INGREDIENTS
12 ounces (about 3 balls) burrata
2 tablespoons pine nuts
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
4 fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
¾ cup rice bran oil or canola oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
6 assorted heirloom tomatoes
2 cups (4 ounces) microgreens
¼ cup basil oil
Serves 4
About 30 minutes before serving time, pull the burrata from the refrigerator and set it aside to come to room temperature.
Meanwhile, adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Place the pine nuts on a cookie sheet and toast them in the oven until lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Let the nuts cool completely.
To make the dressing, put the vinegar, basil, mustard, and pine nuts in a blender and purée until smooth. With the blender running, add the rice bran oil or canola oil in a slow, steady stream, blending until the dressing is thick and emulsified. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper, and set it aside.
Cut the burrata balls in half and season them generously with salt and pepper.
Cut the tomatoes into ¼-inch-thick slices and arrange them on a serving platter. Season them generously with salt and pepper, and drizzle with some of the balsamic-basil dressing. In a mixing bowl, toss the greens with 1 tablespoon of the dressing;