Beets are so sweet and delicious that at the restaurant we try to feature them as often as possible. We also try to make things a little bit more interesting by adding pecorino to the beets instead of traditional goat cheese. FYI, the longer the beets are marinated, the better they tend to taste, so plan to prepare this dish in advance.

　　

Ingredients

Serves 4 to 6

　　4 large red beets or 8 small (about 1 1/2 pounds total) , trimmed

　　1 bunch watercress, ends trimmed and discarded, cut into 1-inch-long pieces

　　1/4 cup olive oil

　　1 teaspoon salt

　　1 lemon

　　1/4 cup almonds, toasted and roughly chopped

　　1/4 cup grated aged pecorino cheese

　　Freshly ground black pepper

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

　　

Step 2

Place the beets in a 9 × 13-inch baking dish. Fill the dish halfway with water and cover it with aluminum foil.

　　

Step 3

Roast until the beets are fully cooked (a paring knife should pass into the center of the largest beet with no resistance), about 1 hour.

　　

Step 4

Remove the beets from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes. Using a paper towel, rub the skin from the outside of the beets. Slice the beets into bite-size hunks or wedges and transfer to a bowl to cool to room temperature. Add the watercress, olive oil, salt, and a squeeze of lemon juice and toss to combine.

　　

Step 5

Arrange the beet mixture on a serving platter and sprinkle with the almonds and pecorino. Finish with a few grinds of pepper. Let sit for at least one hour or more to marinate. Serve at room temperature.

　　Reprinted with permission from The Meatball Shop Cookbook by Daniel Holzman and Michael Chernow with Lauren Deen. Copyright © 2011 by Daniel Holzman and Michael Chernow; photographs copyright © 2011 by John Kernick. Published by Ballantine Books, an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Daniel Holzman is executive chef at The Meatball Shop. He is an alum of Le Bernadin, San Francisco's Fifth Floor, and Aqua, among other highly acclaimed restaurants. He attended the Culinary Institute of America, where he received a full scholarship from the James Beard Foundation.Michael Chernow runs the front-of-house operations and the beverage program at The Meatball Shop. He has worked extensively in restaurants in New York and Los Angeles. He is a graduate of the French Culinary Institute, where he earned degrees in culinary arts and restaurant management. He and Holzman met as teenagers when they worked together as delivery boys at the New York vegan restaurant Candle Café. Needless to say, the vegan thing didn't really stick.Lauren Deen is the author of the New York Times bestselling Cook Yourself Thin series and Kitchen Playdates. She is an Emmy award—and James Beard award— winning television producer and director. She is currently executive producer of food(ography) on the Cooking Channel.