It all began at the eye doctor's office. I was waiting for her and picked up a copy of Better Homes & Gardens. I flipped through and a photo of an intriguing dish caught my eye. Blood Orange and Beet Upside-Down Tart was amazingly colorful. But it was the upside-down part that intrigued me the most. When I left, I bought beets, went home and looked it up on the net. Here's the LINK to the original recipe for anyone who wants to see it.
While I might be able to find yellow beets at a farmer's market, the odds of finding blood oranges anywhere in a 1000 mile radius at this time of year is less likely than finding a living dinosaur. So I substituted red beets and apples. My version isn't quite as colorful or autumnal as the original recipe but to my complete surprise, it was delicious.
I'll admit that I was a little bit nervous, but I swapped out the orange juice for water with a hint of lemon, and I omitted the garnish of walnuts, crumbled goat cheese, and watercress leaves. If you make this for a party, it might be worth dressing it up with those, but I think it's beautiful just the way it is.
The strange combination of beets with fruit works very well. They suggest eating it as a side dish or a light entree. I ate it for dinner. Sliced in one-inch by four-inch strips, I thought it would make a nice appetizer. It would be a clever surprise for vegetarian friends.
And baking the puff pastry on top of the beets and apples was sheer brilliance. It worked beautifully! I'll be trying that more often.
I had large beets and was left with extra to use in another dish. But it used the entire small apple.
Beet and Apple Upside-Down Tart
based on a recipe from Better Homes & Gardens
8x8 baking dish
1 red beet
1 firm apple
2 tablespoons lemon juice
water
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
salt (to taste)
1 sheet frozen puff pastry
Thaw the puff pastry according to directions. While it's thawing, peel the red beet and slice into 5 thin (1/8th inch) slices. Peel and core the apple and slice each quarter into four or five slices.
Preheat the oven to 400.
Pour the lemon juice into a measuring cup and add enough water to make 1/2 cup of liquid. Lay the beet slices in a pan and cover with the lemon liquid. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat and simmer for 8 minutes. Add the apple slices, spreading them around the pan. Bring to a boil again, lower heat and simmer for four more minutes. The beets should be cooked through and soft when pierced.
Lay the beet slices in the baking dish in a decorative pattern. Arrange the apple slices between them, leaning them against each other in rows.
Add the honey, olive oil, and butter to the liquid in the pan. I used a sprinkle of salt, but I'm not sure it's necessary. Bring to a boil and cook 1-2 minutes until it becomes syrupy. Pour over the beets and the apples. Lay the puff pastry on top and tuck the edges down all the way around. Bake for 30 minutes.
Place on a baking rack and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Flip onto a serving dish and serve warm.
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| Simmer the beets. |
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| Add the apple slices and simmer. |
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| Cook the liquid with honey, olive oil, and butter. |
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| Place the beets and apples in the pan and pour the liquid over them. |
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| Coming November 27th! |
