Americas Test Kitchen Beet Salad Food

GLAZED BEETS WITH CREME FRAICHE AND PISTACHIOS

Steps:

• For the beets, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Massage each beet with about a teaspoon of oil and season with salt and pepper. Individually wrap each beet in aluminum foil. Place the beets on a baking sheet and bake for about an hour, or until you can easily pierce them with a knife.
• When the beets have cooled enough to handle but are still warm, unwrap them and rub them with a dry kitchen towel or paper towels to remove their skin. Cut the beets into quarters and allow to cool completely.
• Fill a high-sided saute pan with 1/4 cup of water, the honey and butter and place over medium-high heat; stir gently. Once the mixture begins to thicken and form a glaze, turn off the heat, add the cooked beets and toss to coat them in the glaze. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• For the pistachios, toast them in a small saute pan over medium heat just until they're warm and you can smell their "pistachio-ness." Cool and chop or crush them slightly; they should remain chunky to give good crunch to the dish.
• For the creme fraiche, place it in a bowl and mix with the lemon zest and about half the chopped mint. Refrigerate until you're ready to assemble the dish.
• To serve, spoon the creme fraiche mixture over the bottom of a medium serving dish. Place the warm beets (reheat them if necessary) on top of the creme fraiche in a single layer. (Resist the urge to pile these beauties high; you'll want to be getting creme fraiche and beet in every bite.) If there's any glaze leftover in the pan, pour it over the beets. Sprinkle the pistachios over the beets. Tear the parsley leaves with your fingertips and let them fall naturally over the beets. Sprinkle on the rest of the mint, add a few grinds of fresh black pepper and you're good to go.

SHREDDED BEET AND CARROT SALAD

Steps:

• Whisk the lemon juice, orange juice, olive oil and some salt and pepper together in a large bowl.
• In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a large-holed shredding attachment, shred the carrots and then the apples, 1 piece at a time. Toss the shredded carrots, apple and pickled beets with the citrus vinaigrette and serve.

WINTER BEET SALAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°. Cut slits in beets; place on a baking sheet. Bake until tender, about 1 hour. When cool enough to handle, peel beets and cut into wedges. Divide greens among salad plates; top with beets, oranges, fennel and hazelnuts. Combine dressing ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid; shake well. Drizzle over salads.

TEST KITCHEN'S FAVORITE POTATO SALAD

Steps:

• Peel potatoes. Slice lengthwise into 1-inch-thick planks. Lay flat and slice again into 1-inch-thick strips. Stack strips together and cut crosswise into even cubes.
• In a large pot, cover potatoes with at least 2 inches of water and season generously with salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-high and continue boiling until potatoes are tender and easily pierced with the tip of a knife, 8 to 9 minutes. Drain and transfer to a bowl. Toss with 2 tablespoons vinegar; season with salt and pepper. Let cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, whisk together mayonnaise, mustard, remaining 1 tablespoon vinegar. Stir in celery, cornichons, and scallions. Gently fold mayonnaise mixture into cooked potatoes; season with salt and pepper. Serve, or refrigerate in an airtight container up to 1 day (bring to room temperature before serving, about 30 minutes).