Golden Beet and Fresh Chèvre Bruschetta

Guess what I asked of my sister for a Christmas present? If you said “golden beets,” I’m shocked but you’re right. They can be hard to get here in Philly, for no apparent reason. I prefer them to red beets; they taste more earthy to me and a little less sweet. Since she brought me a huge bag of them, I’m still enjoying my golden beets in all sorts of ways. This appetizer is one Marc and I served at our wedding over six years ago.

1 loaf of good French baguette
fresh chèvre with herbs (plain works too)
golden beets (I always roast 5 or 6 at a time and save some for salads)
olive oil
salt and pepper
good (i.e. aged) balsamic vinegar or cheap balsamic made into a glaze by reducing and adding sugar
fresh chives (or any other herbaceous green)

Preheat over to 400°. Trim the leaves off the beets and reserve for salad. Wrap the beets in a foil pouch that seals to keep the heat and steam in and place on a cookie sheet or other heat safe vessel. Roast them until you can poke a knife into them easily but they’re not mushy. The cooking time will vary widely based on how big the beets you selected are- check them every 20 minutes or so if you’re nervous (My ginormous beets took about 90 minutes to roast). Let the beets cool until you can handle them. Then rub the skins off with your hands (Another nice part about the yellow beets is they don’t really stain your hands). Let them cool completely. Slice the beets into pieces that will fit onto your baguette. Marinate in salt, pepper and olive oil.Slice the baguette into thin pieces and toast in the oven on both sides. Smear with a little chèvre. Place the beets on top of the chèvre and drizzle with balsamic. Finally scissor the herbs over the tops of the bruschetta.