Smashed Beets with Sunchokes & Lots of Citrus and Herbs

I need beets to be salty, lemony, and oily. Mixed with strong herbs, robust greens, and sharp, crystal-filled cheese. These beets are roasted and smashed and roasted some more to increase their crispy surface area potential and paired with lemon zest, lemon juice, preserved lemon and kumquat, why not!? They lay on a bed of garden greens, chiefly arugula, and there’s added crunch with mustard seeds and sunchokes sliced thin and roasted into chips. Later, I added crispy chickpeas and served this dish with halibut and a big simple salad. It was a citrusy feast.

Smashed Beets with Sunchokes + Lots of Citrus and Herbs

8 medium sized beets, mixed yellow and red
8 sunchokes, sliced thin
5 kumquats, sliced
1 bunch/handful chives, chopped
1/2 preserved lemon, finely chopped
4-5 cups arugula, mizuna or other robust greens
1 small handful mint
1 tablespoon mustard seeds
EV olive oil
Sea salt
Pepper

Lemon Vinaigrette

Zest from 1 meyer lemon
Juice from 1 meyer lemon
1/4-1/2 cup olive oil depending on the size of the lemon
1 teaspoon sea salt
A few sprigs of fresh thyme
Cilantro
Parmesan

Method

Turn your oven to 400. Place the whole, unpeeled beets on a sheet of aluminum foil in a roasting pan, then cover with more foil. Roast for 30 minutes, or until a fork can easily pierce the beets. Take the beets out and using fork and knife slice them into quarters. Place on a large baking sheet or cast iron, drizzle with a lot of oil, salt and pepper and place back in the oven.

While the beets roast, drizzle the thinly sliced sunchokes with oil and salt and place them in the oven. After around 10 minutes, add the kumquats to the sunchokes.

Make the vinaigrette. Place the zest, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and thyme in a small mason jar, put the lid on, and shake vigorously until it emulsifies. Place the arugula, mint, preserved lemon and any other greens in a large bowl.

Smash your beets! Using a small bowl smash the beets, if they don’t smash easily they need to cook a little longer. Sprinkle the chives and mustard seeds on the beets, then roast until they are crispy.

When the sunchokes and beets are adequately crisped, pull them out of the oven and spoon them onto the greens. Sprinkle with cilantro, pour the vinaigrette all over, and finish with plenty of freshly shaved parmesan.