Glazed Beets with Creme Fraiche and Pistachios

Step 1

For the beets, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Step 2

Massage each beet with about a teaspoon of oil and season with salt and pepper. Individually wrap each beet in aluminum foil. Place the beets on a baking sheet and bake for about an hour, or until you can easily pierce them with a knife.

Step 3

When the beets have cooled enough to handle but are still warm, unwrap them and rub them with a dry kitchen towel or paper towels to remove their skin. Cut the beets into quarters and allow to cool completely.

Step 4

Fill a high-sided saute pan with 1/4 cup of water, the honey and butter and place over medium-high heat; stir gently. Once the mixture begins to thicken and form a glaze, turn off the heat, add the cooked beets and toss to coat them in the glaze. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Step 5

For the pistachios, toast them in a small saute pan over medium heat just until they're warm and you can smell their "pistachio-ness." Cool and chop or crush them slightly; they should remain chunky to give good crunch to the dish.

Step 6

For the creme fraiche, place it in a bowl and mix with the lemon zest and about half the chopped mint. Refrigerate until you're ready to assemble the dish.

Step 7

To serve, spoon the creme fraiche mixture over the bottom of a medium serving dish. Place the warm beets (reheat them if necessary) on top of the creme fraiche in a single layer. (Resist the urge to pile these beauties high; you'll want to be getting creme fraiche and beet in every bite.) If there's any glaze leftover in the pan, pour it over the beets. Sprinkle the pistachios over the beets. Tear the parsley leaves with your fingertips and let them fall naturally over the beets. Sprinkle on the rest of the mint, add a few grinds of fresh black pepper and you're good to go.