i've now been married for three weeks. there's sort of a subtle shift that has occurred and while nothing is different, per se, in a sense my brain has calmed. we've settled into a quiet domestic world, filled with craft beer from founders and anna playing hyrule warriors while i play with a new spherification kit. there's something about the change of seasons that makes me want to shake up other areas of my life, so i shift boxes, reorder clothes, clean out cupboards, shave off half of my hair. as you do.
lately, we're talking about moving to brooklyn.
every neighborhood in new york has a personality. right now, we live in a small, railroad-style apartment on the upper east side, one of the quietest and most residential neighborhoods. if i run west, i pass the guggenheim. park, madison, fifth avenue. i like to run in central park, around the reservoir, watch the joggers, the birds, the skyline. the upper east side has chin-length dark hair and wears prada sunglasses. she's in her 40s or 50s. she likes saks and asks you to scoop out the inside of her bagel. she's calming, she's safe.
i fell in love with brooklyn easily. my first trips were just across the river to DUMBO, to visit juliana's pizza with friends. immediately, i realized that brooklyn possessed a different vibe completely and one that resonated with me. i saw more trees and parks, wider avenues, bigger windows. still that manhattan skyline. still the city. brooklyn felt like a old, mohawked friend that likes to brew her own beer and probably has a slaughterhouse-five quote tattooed somewhere. this is a girl i could get to know. a girl i could love.
one of the things that excites me about brooklyn is the number of small scandinavian bakeries and bars there, such as konditori and torst. not much makes me happier than saffron buns and beets, gravlax and dill. this recipe is one of those, that sings to me on every level. the beets are sweet and tangy from a hint of lemon. the goat cheese is fresh and rich, with that hit of rye from the caraway. and the horseradish cream and basil finishes with just a bit of heat and floral.
6 lbs beets, half red and half yellow
1/8 cup basil, chiffonaded
2 tsp caraway seeds, ground
10 oz goat cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup lemon juice, plus a reserved 1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tbsp horseradish, grated
salt & pepper to taste
peel and halve the beets. bring two large stockpots to boil with salted water and lemon juice. boil the red beets in one pot and the yellow in another. alternatively, do these separately in the same pot and allow to cool between batches. (keep beets separate or the red will bleed and stain the yellow beets) once beets are soft to the touch and a fork passes easily into them, remove from heat and drain. allow to cool to room temperature. slice into even rectangles.
in a small bowl, mix goat cheese with half of the reserved lemon juice and caraway seeds. set aside.
in another small bowl, mix grated horseradish, the remaining half of the lemon juice, salt, pepper, and sour cream.
line a bread pan with saran wrap. lay down the cut beets into a single layer. for the next layer, using a silicone spatula or offset spatula, spread a layer of the goat cheese mixture. repeat until there beets or goat cheese mixture is gone. wrap the top with saran wrap and place heavy items on top, such as several large cans of beans, and refrigerate for 4-24 hours.
to serve, remove the terrine from the fridge and unwrap. slice thin layers from the terrine and top with horseradish cream and chiffonaded basil.
