So in spite of roasting and freezing some beets, and bringing some to PA for pre-Thanksgiving dinner, I still had almost 2 pounds left in my fridge. Lucky for me, K. directed me to this Bittman recipe for Beet Rösti with Rosemary.
Rösti to me means potatoes, the way my Austrian grandmother made them thinly sliced and I guess sauteed with onions in oil, kind of like hashbrowns. But I’m always up for trying something new, especially if it’s got the Bittman imprimatur. So we pulled out the Cuisinart and went to work. The recipe is impossibly simple, although there is some technique involved with the cooking. Grate 2 lbs of beets (and other root vegetables if you need to supplement–I added a potato and a turnip) on a box grater or a Cuisinart. Toss them in a bowl with salt & pepper, a few teaspoons of fresh chopped rosemary, and a half cup of flour.
Mix it up thoroughly and meanwhile, heat a 12-inch nonstick pan over medium heat, and melt in 2 Tbsp of butter. Once the butter starts to brown, pour the whole mess into the pan and let it cook for 8-10 minutes.
Then you have to do some fancy kitchen wizardry. Get the biggest serving platter you have (well, I needed my biggest one–you might have a better stocked kitchen) and put it upside down on top of the pan. Palm the back of the plate with one hand, grab the handle of the pan with the other, and VERY QUICKLY flip it over. If your pan is truly nonstick and you used enough butter and are having a lucky day, you should find yourself with a plate full of a half-cooked beet pancake, nicely browned.
Then gently slide it back into the pan so the other side can cook. It might be a good idea to add a little more butter to the pan first. Cook for another 8-10 minutes and then slide it back out onto the platter (or you can flip it back out if you’re feeling brave). Top it off with some fresh chopped parsley and serve in wedges.
The CSA Files 