Beet And Pear Puree Recipes

BEET PUREE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Place a large sheet of aluminum foil on a rimmed baking sheet. Scatter beets on the baking sheet along with garlic and ginger. Sprinkle with coriander and salt, and drizzle with oil. Cover with another sheet of aluminum foil and seal edges to form a packet.
• Bake until beets are tender enough to be pierced with a knife, about 30 minutes,. Remove from oven and let beets steam in foil packet for 10 minutes. Unwrap packet and transfer beets, garlic, ginger, and any juices into a food processor. Puree with zest, juice, and vinegar until almost smooth with only small lumps. Add butter and puree until incorporated.

BEET AND PEAR PUREE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Wash beets, and place in a roasting pan. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until tender. Set aside to cool.
• Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion, pears, sugar, and vinegar; cook, stirring frequently, for 20 minutes.
• When the beets are cool enough to handle, peel and coursely chop.
• Puree onion mixture in a food processor with metal blade. Add salt and 1/2 of the beets; pulse 4 to 5 times. Add remaining beets, and pulse 2 to 3 times.

BEET AND PEAR NAPOLEONS WITH GINGER JUICE VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F with rack in middle.
• Wrap beets in foil and roast until tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Let stand until cool enough to handle, then slice crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick rounds. Cool completely.
• Meanwhile, finely grate ginger with a Microplane over a kitchen-towel-lined bowl. Carefully gather towel around ginger and squeeze until you have 2 tablespoons ginger juice. Whisk in orange juice, sugar, and oil. Season with salt and pepper. Divide vinaigrette evenly between 2 small bowls.
• Cut pears lengthwise around core into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Cut out 18 rounds from slices using cookie cutter and put in one bowl of vinaigrette.
• Cut out 18 rounds from beet slices and put in other bowl. Toss pears and beets with vinaigrette to coat well.
• To assemble napoleons, put 1 beet round on each of 6 plates (see cooks' note, below) and top with a tarragon leaf. Top with 1 pear round, then another tarragon leaf. Repeat layering 2 more times. Discard vinaigrette used for beets.
• Toss greens with some of remaining vinaigrette and place around each napoleon. Finely grate apple (including skin) into a bowl. Spoon a heaping teaspoon apple on top of each napoleon, then sprinkle with sea salt and poppy seeds. Drizzle with more vinaigrette if desired.

ROASTED BEETS WITH PEARS AND PISTACHIOS

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 400.
• Wash 1 pound beets, wrap each in foil and put on a baking sheet.
• Put 1 pound quartered pears on the baking sheet, and toss with olive oil.
• Roast until a knife pierces the beets with little resistance, 45 to 90 minutes, and the pears are tender and browned (remove when done, before the beets).
• When the beets are cool enough to handle, peel, and cut into chunks; toss them and the pears with chopped pistachios, wine vinegar and olive oil.
• Garnish: Mint.