beet spread

This Greek beet spread (called pantzarosalata) is such a fantastic color—bright magenta pink—and it tastes great, too. The vinegar cuts the sweetness of the beets, and the walnuts add a wonderful richness. This recipe could very well be the ticket to convert any beet skeptics in your household.
This spread is fantastic on toast made out of Rise & Shine Bakery’s whole grain sourdough bread, especially the toasted walnut bread. It’s a variation of a recipe from Madhur Jaffrey’s World Vegetarian. You can serve beet spread with toast and celery sticks as an appetizer, or make a complete meal by serving beet spread on toast with a bowl of lentil soup, or with green cauliflower with parsley and green olives.

2 pounds beets
½ cup walnuts
2 slices of bread (I use our whole-wheat sourdough.)
2 garlic cloves
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
2-4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt, or to taste

1. Peel and cut the beets into ½-inch slices. Steam them until tender (30 or 40 minutes on the stovetop, or 15-18 minutes in the pressure cooker). Reserve the steaming liquid.
2. While the beets are steaming, toast the walnuts in a 350-degree oven for about 15 minutes, until golden brown and fragrant.
3. In a food processor, add ingredients in the following order:
a. Mince the garlic finely.
b. Add the walnuts and grind finely.
c. Tear the bread into chunks, add them to the bowl with the garlic and nuts, and process into fine bread crumbs.
d. Add the cooked beets, olive oil, vinegar, and salt, and process until smooth. Add more steaming liquid or olive oil if you need it to get a smooth puree.