Toasted Beet and Ricotta Sandwich
Hear me out! I know beets taste like dirt. The keys to this Toasted Beet and Ricotta Sandwich are honey and red wine vinegar, which tame and balance out the strong earthy beet flavor with sweetness. Really! I find myself looking forward to the late-summer beet season now.
To try this crave-worthy sandwich, today we visit the Winespring Inn of Emond’s Field (Wheel of Time) where Marin Al’Vere is known for her incredible cooking. Beets are a hardy garden staple with a long storage life so they are a natural food to keep on the inn’s menu.
We arrive on horseback during late summer, when the Emond’s Glory flowers are twining up the walls of stone buildings all over town. There is a bit of a chill in the air foretelling the winter to come, but we still have some warmth yet before the winds shift. We have time for a perfect lunch at a well-worn wooden table just outside the inn’s door. Several locals gather here too, always glad for a mug of ale, game of dice, and gossip from far-away lands. They treat us with singing several verses of local folk songs as we enjoy our meal. After lunch we will begin the long trek along mountain roads toward a sheep farm for dinner.
Shout-out to Hughes Pottery for the awesome mug!
Toasted Beet and Ricotta Sandwich
Equipment
- Box grater or food processor with grater attachment
- Frying pan (or two, if you don't want to wash one after cooking beets)
- Flat spatula for flipping sandwiches
Ingredients
- 4 slices bread Italian bread or your favorite
- ½ cup ricotta cheese
- 1 medium-size beet peeled and grated*
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 2 ¼ tsp red wine vinegar
- 2 Tbsp minced shallot
- ¼ cup honey
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh arugula or other greens optional
Instructions
- In a medium pan (preferably nonstick), combine the shallot, grated beet, honey, vinegar, and 1/4 cup water. Season with salt and pepper. Heat to boiling.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, for 4-6 minutes or until the beet has softened and the liquid has cooked off. If it was an especially juicy beet or if you double the recipe, this may take a bit longer.
- Remove from heat, and drain off any extra liquid if needed (so it does not make the sandwiches soggy).
- Evenly spread the ricotta onto the four bread slices – both sides of the sandwich get ricotta. Be generous if you have extra.
- Spread the beets evenly over 2 bread slices (on top of the ricotta). Put the sandwiches together.
- Melt 1 Tbsp butter in a frying pan on medium to medium-high.
- Add the sandwiches and cook 2-3 minutes or until golden brown on the first side.
- Add the remaining 1 Tbsp butter to the pan, flip the sandwiches, and cook an additional 2-3 minutes until toasty. Transfer toasted sandwiches to a cutting board.
- If desired, open up each sandwich carefully and add arugula or other greens. Toothpicks help hold things together but are optional (just makes things feel fancy).
