One humid summer when I lived in Boston, my weekly CSA (community-supported agriculture) box inundated me with pounds and pounds of beets. My feelings toward the vegetable were tepid to begin with and quickly burgeoned into searing animosity after months of unrelenting surplus. It fueled many a culinary nightmare for years after, and to this day, the earthy flavor of beets continues to haunt me. Fortunately, the cheese and roasted garlic in this tart offset the beet’s worst qualities and mellow everything out, including the root (pun always intended) of my anxiety. So if you too feel wary about delving into the murky world of root veg, this approach for easing into it is unbeetable.
1 partially baked Herbed Tart Pastry Shell
HONEY RICOTTA BEET FILLING
1 large red beet (about 1 pound/454 grams)
1 large Chioggia beet (about 1 pound/454 grams)
3 large garlic cloves, unpeeled
1 cup (250 grams) ricotta
1 large egg
3 tablespoons (63 grams) honey
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
½ teaspoon kosher salt, or more as desired
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more as desired
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Scrub the beets and pat dry. Trim the ends and wrap each beet individually in foil. Wrap the garlic cloves in foil. Roast the beets and garlic on a rimmed baking sheet until fork-tender, 35 to 50 minutes.
3. Lower the oven temperature to 350°F.
4. When the beets are cool enough to handle, rub off and discard the skins and cut the beets into ⅛-inch slices. Using a 1-inch oval cutter, punch out at least 50 shapes—25 red and 25 striped. Measure 3 ounces of beets (about ½ cup) from the scraps and place them in a food processor.
5. Squeeze the roasted garlic into the food processor with the beet scraps, discarding the peels. Add the ricotta, egg, 2 tablespoons of the honey, the vinegar, salt, and pepper. Pulse to blend until smooth. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper as desired.
6. Place the partially baked shell in its tart pan on a rimmed baking sheet. Pour the ricotta filling into the shell and smooth the surface.
BEET SHINGLE DESIGN PROCESS
1-inch oval cutter (used in step 4 above)
1. Beginning at the top of the tart, lay a horizontal row of overlapping red beet ovals. Do not let the beet ovals touch the tart crust, as the beet juice may cause the shell to become soggy during baking.
2. Next, lay a row of overlapping Chioggia beet ovals. This row should slightly overlap with the row of red beets. Continue laying rows of overlapping beets down the tart, alternating colors with each row, until the surface has been covered.
3. Bake the tart for 30 to 35 minutes. Drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon honey over the surface of the tart while still hot. The tart can be served hot, at room temperature, or chilled. This tart is best consumed within 2 days.
SUGGESTED SUBSTITUTIONS
Crust alternative: Everything (but the) Bagel Tart Pastry Shell
Topping alternative: A golden beet can be substituted for the Chioggia beet, but prioritize using red beet scraps when measuring for the filling in order to achieve the vibrant pink color.