Roasted Beet Salad with Cinnamon | Slow Food Culture

Slow food culture is nothing new. It has been the customs and practices grounded in nature’s cycles and rhythms all over the world. Take roasted beet salad with cinnamon in Paula Wolfert’s The Food of Morocco. I am curious about the difference in taste between roasting beets in the oven for 1 hour (my go-to method) vs. the 2+ hours (the Moroccan way). The verdict is: if I have the time, I won’t go back to the old way. When cooked slowly, the beets just taste so much beet-like, intensely sweet with a hint of caramel.

In fact, I can hear Alice Waters saying that slow food culture is not about time; it’s about the value and intention. My intention in the kitchen is feeding my family delicious food that’s good for them, and that has been grown in a way that considers the environment.

The farmers’ market in town is now alive and getting better and gaining popular each year. A bunch of beets with leaves on them is $4 and two for $7. I grab several bunches of them and head to the kitchen.

I’m inspired by the table full of small plates of salads, a symphony of contrasting colors and shapes in homes and restaurants in Morocco. Very much like the Italian antipasti which are served at the beginning of a meal. That might include: beets, carrots, creamy eggplant, green peppers and marinated olives. No salad greens like those we know at home, but a repertory of cooked, pickled and stewed vegetables dishes. That brings immense delight and excites the palate, the moment you sit down at the table.

It makes sense to roast a larger quantity of beets since the roasted beets will keep in the refrigerator for a week. You could also boil the beets. However, the flavor of the beets is so much more concentrated when you roast them in the oven. You may also use a ceramic pot, which is flame proof, on top of the stove. However, time is the common ingredient among the various cooking methods; there is no substitute.

Print Recipe

Roasted Beet Salad with Cinnamon

By Paula Wolfert – Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 1 pound of beets, about 3 to 4
• 2 tablespoons coarse salt
• FOR THE MARINADE:
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• Juice of one lemon
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon ground Ceylon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
• Salt to taste

Instructions

1

Rinse and thoroughly dry the beets, being careful not to break their skins, Cut off the tops.

2

ROAST THE BEETS: Tightly wrap the beets, with salt, in foil and set in a shallow baking dish. Bake at 350°F for two hours, or until the flesh has softened.

3

Alternatively, to use an earthenware pot, sprinkle salt in the bottom of the pot. Loosely pile the beets on top of each other in the pot, cover with a piece of crumpled parchment paper and the lid and set over low heat and cook for 1 1/2 hours. Shake the pot from time to time, without opening. Check for tenderness and cook for up to 30 minutes, if necessary. Let the beets cool.

4

MARINATE: Peel the beets, cut into bite-sized pieces. Whisk together cinnamon, sugar, lemon juice, and olive oil in a large bowl. Add the beets and let marinate for 1 hour before serving. Sprinkle beets with parsley. Serve at room temperature.

Notes

Adapted from The Food of Morocco by Paula Wolfert