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Rainbow Beet Tartine

Ashley Look

Open-face rainbow beet tartine with whipped ricotta cheese, watercress, toasted walnuts and honey.

I am not sure why but lately, all I want is a lush veggie sandwich. This is rare. I'm not much into sandwiches. Unless of-course it's a breakfast version, in which case, I want them all! 

My sandwich aversion comes from a combination of generic fillers and bad bread. They tend to be boring and I want to be dazzled by a sandwich! I want it to feel glamorously indulgent with fun ingredients that go above the call of Subway. Is this too much to ask?!!  And since my generation is becoming the "sandwich generation," a worthy sandwich is a must! According to google, here is the definition:

Sand·wich gen·er·a·tion
noun
  1. a generation of people, typically in their thirties or forties, responsible for bringing up their own children and for the care of their aging parents.

Since I personally don't have children I am going to keep this sandy open-faced but you do what you have to do to make it right for you!  Get yourself some bread and start building a good lunch.  Surely, you're gonna need it to get through the next few years.

Tartines with the crust cut off for my old man. 

Ingredients

•1 slice of artisan bread
•4 beets, a combination of 2 gold and 2 red
•1/4 cup loosely packed watercress
•1 tsp softened butter
•1/4 cup ricotta cheese
•2 tbsp of heavy whipping cream
•1/8 cup toasted walnuts, chopped
•1 tsp honey
•1/4 tsp fresh thyme
•pinch of smoked sea salt (or any salt)

Directions

  1. Preheat the oved to 425 degrees F.
  2. Remove any greens and clean the beets. Place in a baking dish and cover with foil.
  3. Roast beets for 35-40 minutes tossing them occasionally in the pan. (It's this mixing of the juices that bring out the rainbow coloring.)
  4. Prick the beets to test for doneness. Let cool completely then peel to remove the skins.
  5. While the beets cool, whip the ricotta and heaving whipping cream with a hand mixer until stiff peaks form. store in trhe fridge till ready to use.
  6. Butter the bread and griddle both sides in a skillet.
  7. Spread a small dab of the riccota mix on the bread and then lay down the watercress. (A small amount will help keep the greens in place.)
  8. Next you can really add that ricotta. I scooped it out with a spoon and flattened it some.
  9. Slice the golden beets and places the slices on top of the ricotta.
  10. Drizzle with a little honey.
  11. Add the toasted walnuts and a little fresh thyme and sea salt and it's ready to eat!

Toppings: honey, thyme, smoked sea salt, and whipped ricotta

PS- I made that spoon! Mahogany. My first since being in FL.

* The End.