Raw Beet Pesto Two Ways

Raw Beets: A Jewel of the Harvest

After visiting Janice Beaton’s FARM Restaurant last October, I was not only inspired to prepare my charcuterie on platters paired with complimentary flavour combinations; I was inspired to make the beet pesto. Raw beets are another discovery of mine this year, believe it or not. I had never eaten a raw beet until about a year ago now. Neither had any of my friends, yet I have met many others who certainly have. I am so pleased that I ventured forth. After reading Jamie Oliver’s recipe for his Raw Beet with Feta and Pear and Mint Salad from Jamie Oliver Cooks, I had to try it. Spectacular. So simple. So delicious. So nutritious. That was the beginning of my raw beet fascination.

These pestos are really delicious, but the yellow one discolours later the same day it is made. I have found that both need to be eaten very soon after they are prepared.

Raw Beet Pesto

Ingredients:

200 grams of beets (one big one is plenty)
100 grams of a flavourful hard cheese; I love piave vecchio, but when I make two of these, I use two different cheeses like a piave and a parmesan or a pecorino
100 grams toasted nuts; I love the pine nuts, but use walnuts when I do two for one of the pestos
garlic, to taste; I love garlic, so would use 2 big ones for a large beet
50 grams of extra virgin olive oil
5Â grams of salt (add more when finished, to taste; very dependent upon the salt content of the cheese)

Instructions:

place all ingredients into the TM Bowl
pulse 2-3 times for a second or less than a second each time, until desired consistency
season to taste

I had some leftover Piave cheese the first time I made this, and it was “to die for”! So, now I make sure I have some when I want to make this.

I like to season at the end with the Fleur de Sel. I really like the flavour on my tongue. Whatever nuts you choose must be toasted first.

So I did the yellow beets first. They are so bright! You hardly have to pulse the machine at all to get it to this consistency. Yummy.

I used 2-3 beets for this batch as I was expecting a bigger crowd. Everyone loved it, but it was still too much. Less is more, and I will definitely remember that and just make it with one beet next time. But, no complaints. I enjoyed every last morsel as I spooned the glistening bits onto little toasts for my breakfast the next morning. Each is similar to the other, yet different enough I found myself constantly going back and forth tasting one, then the other to determine which I liked best. I still can’t decide.