By Caitlin Gaylord Churchill, Perishable & Dairy Buyer and Comanager
Originally this was a recipe for roasted beets and farro, which I found on the illustrious FoodNetwork.com. I don’t find farro to be that interesting of a grain, so this is the jazzed up version. It takes a little longer to prepare, but I find that it’s more interesting. You can leave out the cheese entirely and it’s still delish.
Ingredients
1½ pounds small beets (I like to mix red and yellow)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Sea Salt and Black Pepper
5 sprigs thyme
2 cloves garlic, unpeeled
½ cup shelled raw pistachios
½ cup pitted prunes, diced
4 tablespoons salted butter or earth balance
1½ cups buckwheat kasha
3 cups of vegetable stock
4 ounces chevre or Heidi Ho vegan goat cheese
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Cut beets into halves. Combine the beets, olive oil, 1 teaspoon of salt, some pepper, the thyme sprigs, and the garlic cloves on a baking sheet. Cover with foil and roast for 30 to 35 minutes, until easily pierced with a paring knife. During that time on another rack in the oven, roast the pistachios for 5 minutes. Set aside both to cool completely.
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan or deep saute pan over medium heat. Add the buckwheat and stir until coated with butter and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in the prunes and add 3 cups of stock. Bring to a boil, cover, and let simmer on low for 25 minutes. With a paper towel, remove the skins from the beets. Quarter the beets and add them to the bowl with the cooked buckwheat. Fold in the toasted pistachios.
Squeeze the roasted garlic into a small bowl. Mash it with a fork and season with salt and pepper, and then stir it into the salad. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently to combine. Top with the crumbled goat cheese.
