BEET TOWERS

I am always looking for little appetizers to complement a glass of wine or champagne, sometimes even a cocktail or a simple glass of whiskey, neat.  The beet and goat cheese towers here fit all the bills.  First, they are temptingly gorgeous. More importantly, they’re scrumptious, and the red and white complemented with green is cheerful for short winter days.  An added attribute is they will get people who think they don’t like beets to start loving them!

Pre-Cooked Beets

In France, we can buy beets that are already cooked. They look a bit odd at the market as they lean into each other, frumpily slouching instead of being all nice and round.  But please, cook your own! I usually do, because they’re more flavorful, particularly when they are roasted. True, it takes time but oh! The results. 

Goat Cheese Season

Traditionally goats have their kids around about February, and from March through December they are giving milk. That’s the busy season for cheese makers, who turn the milk into both fresh cheeses and those intended to age, and those are the ideal months in France to savor goat cheese. That said, tradition is often flouted now with the use of artificial light and insemination, so that goats give milk year-round, resulting in a year-round supply of fresh cheese.  

What is Fresh Goat Cheese?

So, what is fresh goat cheese?  It’s small cheeses that are about one week old, and are tender and moist without being wet.  Many of you will find these locally.  If you cannot, use drained Greek yogurt instead – it lacks the tang of goat cheese but has its own charms which work well here.

Little Hearts…

And when you cut your little towers into shapes, use your imagination!  Rounds, squares, triangles, heart shapes (think Valentine’s day!).

Bon Appétit!