beet pickled deviled eggs

beet pickled deviled eggs

4.17.2017

Technically, these are called "beet pickled eggs" but it might be more accurate to call them "gently beet pickled eggs". But they look great right? Look at those beautiful pink edges.

I had inadvertently did not respond to the family text chain about what I was brining to Easter dinner. While I often ask others to plan in advance, I sometimes fail to do this myself. Sometimes I use this as an opportunity to do some last minute recipe planning - and that is how we ended up with these deviled eggs. This recipe is both shockingly easy... and a crowd pleaser. This appetizer won't disappear as fast as normal deviled eggs - but they will still be enjoyed. I think the next time I'll try to add a slightly salty or crunchy topping to them - either the crispy shallots from this recipe or perhaps some fried capers.

So the catch here?

1. Time // You really need a solid 12-18 hrs at minimum for this recipe. I really missed that when I was trolling the internet. I picked up all the ingredients. Hard boiled my eggs. Then realized you need to let the eggs sit in the pickle business for quite a while - and the longer the better. I lasted for just under 12 hours.
2. Container // You need to let the eggs pickle in a container that is non-reactive (e.g. glass) and can be airtight (e.g. a jar). Given my lack of advance planning, I was not prepared for this. I dumped out my jar of almonds and used that instead. 

If you do decide to make these - which you should - I would recommend using 1.5 jars of beets if you are trying to shorten the pickle (e.g. pink coloring) time. You can allegedly use the pickled beets in other meals (maybe avocado toast or a salad?) but so far they are still sitting my fridge. While I'm not sure if I'll get around to using them, I'll absolutely make these eggs again... perhaps with some beets from my own garden.

1. Hard boil your eggs and peel them.
2. Bring vinegar, sugar, salt, and 2½ cups water to a boil in a large saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar and salt. 
3. Add can of beets with juice, reduce heat, and simmer for about 20 minutes then let cool.
4. Put your eggs in the jar and pour the brine over the eggs. Feel free to include some of the sliced beets. I'm not confident that it'll give you extra color but it won't hurt.
5. Let the jar rest in your refrigerator for at least 12 hours. When you are ready, you can just pull the egg from the brine and use it however you like. 

Shopping List
7 hard boiled eggs
4 cups of white vinegar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 can of sliced beets

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rustic asparagus beet tart

rustic asparagus beet tart

2.05.2017

I'd like to file this appetizer under "came out good, but lots of room for improvement". Sometimes I go back and forth about whether to write up something that has "significant opportunity" but I think in this case it is worth it. But to be clear, I made a batch of dairy-free banana orange quinoa "muffins" that I'm not writing about yet. In the ever descriptive words of my sister, they are like hard tack for sailors crossing the the Atlantic Ocean.

But the tart is in a much better shape. It needs a lot less improvement than the muffins. I found the original recipe for this tart on Food52 and made some modifications - like swapping asparagus for wilted greens. I served this tart as a "starter" for our book club meeting and followed it with with butternut squash apple soup.

Where this is a good recipe?

• Nice and light.
• Great base and can easily be used to swap in and out seasonal ingredients. Hello summer tomatoes and garden fresh basil.
• Super fast and easy. The hardest part is making sure you have pastry dough on hand - which you should always buy if you see it on sale. Paying $4.99 hurts.

Where it can improve?

• Not quite hearty enough // The cheese custard part of the tart is much more significant than the other components (beets and asparagus). I wouldn't cut down on that necessarily but maybe if you added some protein (crumbled sausage?)
• Portion Size // Cut into smaller servings. I cut into 6 even pieces but I think that if the portions were smaller you would have felt like you were eating more veggies and less pastry. 
• Add more veggies // End of story. Really layer in the beets more aggressively and the asparagus if you go that way.

1. Roll the puff pastry out until you have a rough 10-inch square. Transfer the square to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
2. Roll in the edges of the pastry about an inch on all 4 sides so that you have a pastry wall. Use a little water to seal the edges. You want to make sure that the custard doesn't leak out when poured into the "shell".
3. Combine the egg and the goat cheese with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Slowly add the milk or cream, stiring until you have a thick but good smooth consistency. It should be no thinner than pancake batter.
4. Pour the custard into the pastry shell, then lay the beets on top, being careful not to overflow the pastry shell.
5. Chop off the tops of the asparagus first and then use a vegetable peeler to get thin slices of asparagus. You'll probably want to use about 6 asparagus spears at a minimum - I would recommend going a little bit heavier than I did. Alternatively, just chop the asparagus into like 1 inch bits and put them on the tart. I'll probably go this route next time I make this.
6. Bake at 400 until the pastry is golden, the custard is set, and the top is just a little brown.

Shopping List
1 can of sliced beets

1/2 package of frozen puff pastry, or equivalent of homemade
1 egg
1/4 to 1/2 cups whole milk or cream
3 to 5 ounces goat cheese, room temperature
Salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste

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