Roasted Beets and Wild Arugula

Creamy tarragon ricotta and crunchy pepitas enhance the peppery flavor of wild arugula and the earthiness of beets in this dish at Crab Catcher. “The sherry balsamic reduction, together with the lemon oil, creates a flavorful dressing,” Chef Jon Burwell says.

Roasted Beets and Wild Arugula
Serves 4 to 6

24 red, golden or one-half each baby beets (1 to 1 1/2 inches in diameter — about 4 bunches)
1/2 c. olive oil
1 T. kosher salt
1 T. black pepper
Tarragon ricotta (recipe follows)
1 lb. wild arugula
1.4 oz. pepitas, lightly salted
Lemon oil (recipe follows)
Sherry balsamic reduction (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Rinse beets and trim off stems. Toss beets in a bowl with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place beets on a baking sheet and roast in oven until tender, 45 minutes to an hour. Let beets cool until slightly warm, then rub with a paper towel to remove peel. Beets can be served whole or cut in half.

Use a spoon to smear a circle of ricotta in the center of each plate. Place the beets around the edge of the ricotta. Take a small handful arugula and place on top of the ricotta. Top with pepitas and drizzle with the lemon oil and the sherry balsamic reduction.

Tarragon Ricotta

3 sprigs tarragon
1 1/2 c. ricotta cheese

Remove leaves from tarragon stems and rough chop. In a mixing bowl, fold together ricotta and chopped tarragon.

Lemon Oil
12 oz. extra virgin olive oil
Zest of 2 lemons

Heat oil and lemon zest in a small saucepan for about 10 minutes. Do not allow to simmer. Remove from heat and let cool. Strain the lemon zest out of the oil and put the oil in a clean jar or a squeeze bottle.

Sherry Balsamic Reduction
1 shallot
1 basil leaf
1 sprig rosemary
3 sprigs thyme
1 sprig sage
3 c. balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 c. sherry cooking wine
1 c. brown sugar

Put all ingredients in a saucepan. Place on stove on medium-low heat and reduce by half. Strain and let cool. Transfer to a squeeze bottle.

Chef Jon Burwell
Crab Catcher
1298 Prospect St., Suite 3A
La Jolla, CA 92037
858-454-9587
crabcatcher.com