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Nothing beats the earthy flavor of beets from the farmers market (pun intended). These roasted beet and chive tarts show off that beet-y flavor with a herbal chive ricotta filling complement. They look fancy, but are actually pretty easy to make. Beets are pretty easy to find in summer and fall markets, so pick up a bunch and impress everyone at the table!
Why make Roasted Beet and Chive Tarts?
First, these are beautiful and they look fancy. I’d totally be happy serving these at a dinner party as an appetizer. The pale green of the chive cheese filling and the rich colors of the beets make for a great presentation.
Second, these beet tarts are delicious! I love the sweet earthiness of beets, and the chives add a herbaceous punch. The flaky pastry puts the whole thing over the top.
Ingredients and Substitutions for Roasted Beet and Chive Tarts
Beets
I used a mix of red and golden beets, but any variety will be delicious. Chioggia beets, also known as candy cane beets, would be equally beautiful. The flavors of all these varieties are similar, so mix and match with whatever you can find.
As for random fun facts: geosmin, the compound in beets responsible for the earthy smell, is also responsible for the smell of wet dirt. Told you guys I like trivia!
Chives
Chives have a light onion flavor that gives the filling its herbal flavor. Their flowers are edible too, so if you have them, use them as a garnish.
If you don’t have chives, use the green parts of a bunch of green onions. If you hate onions of any kind, many different herbs could be a good substitute here; I might start with basil.
Puff Pastry
The key to making these tarts easier than they look is buying frozen puff pastry, which can be found in the frozen section of most grocery stores. If you live by a Trader Joe’s, I can recommend the all-butter puff pastry that they sell during the holiday season.
Of course, I won’t stop you if you want to make your own puff pastry. Consider me impressed if you do.
Ricotta and Feta Cheese
The ricotta cheese adds a richness to the roasted beets and contrasts with the flaky texture of the puff. Whipping the ricotta gives it a silky smooth texture.
If you have a serious aversion to feta, substitute with chevre. You may need to adjust the salt level to compensate for the saltiness of the feta.
Serving Suggestions
These would be great as an appetizer; I could even see miniaturizing them as little bite size pieces with one beet slice each.
I’ve also served these as a side dish with grilled steak. If serving as part of a main, keep the main simple that way the focus is on the roasted beet and chive tarts, especially since that’s where all the effort is going in.
Roasted Beet and Chive Tarts
Nothing beats the earthy flavor of beets from the farmers market. These roasted beet and chive tarts show off that beet-y flavor with a herbal chive ricotta filling complement. They look fancy, but are actually pretty easy to make.
Ingredients
- 4-5 Red or Golden Beets, medium to small sized. Mixing and matching is encouraged!
- 2 tbsp Avocado Oil
- 1 tbsp flour (approximate amount)
- 1 sheet Frozen Puff Pastry, thawed
- 1 cup (8 oz) Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese
- ½ cup (4 oz) Feta Cheese
- 1 clove Garlic, roughly chopped
- 1 bunch Chives, roughly chopped
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Coat beets in avocado oil and wrap in aluminum foil. Putting multiple beets in one packet is okay. Place packets in oven for 30 minutes or until tender.
- While beets are roasting, lightly coat working surface in flour, and roll out the puff pastry dough to a 15 inch square. Cut dough into 4 squares.
- Score a ½ inch border around each pastry square, and prick the center of the pastry with a fork.
- Place puff pastry on parchment paper lined baking trays, and put in the oven for 20 minutes.
- While the beets and puff pastry are in the oven, make the filling by adding the ricotta, feta, garlic, and chives to a food processer, and pulsing until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Remove beets and puff pastry from the oven (leave the oven ON). Set puff pastry aside.
- Take beets out of the aluminum foil packet, remove skin if desired, and slice into ⅛ inch thick slices.
- Divide the ricotta chive filling into fourths and spread onto the centers of each pastry square. Top with the sliced beets. Return to the oven for 10 minutes, or until the filling begins to brown.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Feel free to change up the the herbs in the ricotta filling - many different herbs pair well with beets.
