Software
2 - 3 medium-sized beets
2 medium/large oranges
1/4 of a small red onion (shallot will also work)
4 ounces goat cheese
Small bunch of arugula
About 8 pistachios, chopped fine (optional, but it makes for a pretty garnish)
White balsamic vinegar (you'll need about 4 tablespoons total)
Olive oil (you'll need about a tablespoon)
Salt and pepper
One-half of a package frozen puff pastry, thawed (the second sheet can be wrapped in plastic and kept frozen until you'd like to use it)Hardware
Small-ish bowl
Foil
Baking sheet lined with silicone liner or parchment
Pastry brush
Knife and cutting board
Rubber gloves (optional but suggested - beets can stain your hands)
Clean dish towel (optional but suggested)
Preheat the oven temperature to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
Wash your beets and cut off the ends1
Place the beets on a sheet of foil and drizzle with a little white balsamic vinegar and sprinkle with salt and pepper
Wrap the foil around the beets to make a little packet
Bake for about one hour
Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly
Open the foil packet and use a clean dish towel or your gloved fingers to slide off the skins
Set aside for final assembly1Save the greens! They can be cooked and eaten like spinach or kale and are plenty yummy.
After roasting the beets, increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees Fahrenheit
Place your thawed puff pastry on a baking sheet lined with a silicone liner or parchment
Brush the edge of the puff pastry with water and fold about a half-inch of the edge over onto itself, using a fork to crimp it down
Using the fork, dock the center portion of the puff pastry (poke it all over with holes) so it doesn't poof up too much
Bake for about 20 minutes or until puffed up and golden brown
Set aside until ready to assemble the tart
Segmenting citrus is a really easy technique that makes for a very pretty presentation. To get just the segments out of an orange (or lemon or other citrus fruit):
Cut off the top and bottom of the fruit, removing about a half inch. When you've cut off enough, the skin and pith will be removed and the surface of the fruit will be exposed
Set the fruit on one end and cut downwards just inside of the pith, following the curve of the fruit. The goal is to remove the skin and pith and expose the flesh1
Continue until all of the white pith is removed
Take the fruit in your hand and look for the lines that will run down the fruit - these are membranes that separate the segments
Holding the fruit over a bowl to catch the juices, slide your knife into the fruit just beside one of these lines, then remove and slide it in along the other side
Continue around the fruit, popping out the segments into a bowl as you go
Refrigerate until ready to use1Save the peels (but remove the pith from them)! You can add them to brown sugar to keep it soft and/or use them fresh or dried in baking.
Cut about a half-inch off the top and bottom of your onion1
Make a shallow slit perpendicular to the top and bottom through the side and peel off the outer couple layers
Slice the onion in half and place each half flat on the cutting board
Cut into thin half-circles1Save these bits! They can be stored frozen and used with other veggie scraps to make wonderful stock.
Spread the bottom of the puff pastry with goat cheese
Add a few leaves of washed and dried arugula
Cut beets into wedges about the size of the orange segments and place them on top of the arugula, alternating each slice with an orange segment
Top with thin sliced red onion and a sprinkle of pistachio (if using)
Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and a very light drizzle of white balsamic vinegar and olive oil
Enjoy!
Question & Answer
Question: What is the correct order of the images?