French "Peasant" Beets
Amy_N-B
- Serves
- 2 for dinner, 4 as a side
- Prep Time
- 15 Minutes
- Cook Time
- 30 Minutes
Between our CSA and garden, we found ourselves up to our eyeballs in beets a few summers ago. I concocted this dish as an homage to a simple French peasant dinner. When I explained the concept to my husband, he riduculed me, "What peasants eat boucheron and drink Muscadet with their beets?" "Um, French ones?" - Amy_N-B
Ingredients
- 4 Beets with greens (up to 6; I like a mixture of golden and red beets)
- 1 bunch Swiss chard
- 3 tablespoon butter
- 1 shallot
- 1 pinch Salt, or more to taste
- 1 pinch Freshly ground pepper, or more to taste
- 2 tablespoon white wine (Muscadet is my preference)
- 2 tablespoon water
- 1/2 pound Bucheron Cheese (room temperature)
- 1 loaf crusty peasant style bread (warmed in oven
Featured Video
In our next life, we'd like to be French peasants, or at least, eat like them. We have a soft spot for beet recipes that utilize both the sweet root and minerally tops. Here, Amy_N-B has you caramelize slices of yellow and red beets (we used 4 large beets total; might do 3 next time) and then add a mix of beet tops and Swiss chard, cooking them just enough to wilt. You'll love the dish at this point, but you'll be riveted if you serve it with oozy boucheron and good country bread.
Directions
- Step 1
Scrub and peel the beets. Remove the greens and chop coarsely. Set the greens aside in a large prep bowl. Slice beets into 1/4 inch rounds.
- Step 2
Remove the ribs from the swiss chard and coarsely chop and toss into bowl with the beet greens.
- Step 3
In a large sautee pan, melt butter. Sautee shallots.
- Step 4
Add beet rounds to the shallot butter mixture. Crack some pepper over the beets and a toss on a pinch of salt. Reduce heat and sautee beets, turning over to ensure even cooking.
- Step 5
About 15 minutes later when beets are begnning to glaze and become tender, add greens and chard. Sautee for about 5 minutes, then add wine and cover. Cook until greens are wilted, adding water if necessary. Allow liquid to be mostly absorbed into greens, adjust seasonings.
- Step 6
Scoop greens and beets into a low shallow bowl. Garnish with a sizeable wedge of bucheron and some crusty bread. Crack a little bit of pepper over the entire dish.