Charred Sweet Garleek with Badger Flame Beet Romesco

Serves 4 people, with leftover sauce

INGREDIENTS

10 stalks Sweet Garleek, washed
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Lemon wedges
2 cups Badger Flame beet romesco

FOR THE ROMESCO:
3-5 Badger Flame beets (approx. 1¼ lbs.), tops removed, scrubbed clean but unpeeled
¼ cup dried cherries
1¼ cup very hot water
⅔ cup nuts and/or seeds (such as hazelnuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds)
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, microplaned or minced
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried chile flakes (such as Aleppo or Gochugaru)
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Salt and black pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Wrap beets in aluminum foil, place on a baking sheet and roast until tender (approx. 1 hour). Remove from oven, gently unwrap foil (careful of steam!), and roast another 15 minutes; this helps dry out the skin. Remove from oven and let cool.

Meanwhile, pour hot water over dried cherries and set aside.

Reduce oven to 325°F. On a separate baking sheet, toast nuts/seeds until lightly golden brown.

Next, char beets over the flame of your stove: Using tongs, grab one at a time and place directly into the flame, rotating to blacken the skin on all sides. Alternatively, use a charcoal or gas grill, or place beets directly under an oven broiler.

Allow beets to cool, then peel off the skins; it’s ok if some blackened specks remain. Roughly dice the beets.

Drain the cherries and reserve the soaking liquid.

To the bowl of a food processor add the diced beets, soaked cherries, nuts, oil, garlic, vinegar, lemon juice, chile flakes, paprika and a pinch of salt. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides and adding reserved cherry liquid in small increments until the sauce is slightly looser than hummus.

Taste and add salt and black pepper as desired. Set aside.

Slice off the Sweet Garleek bottoms, just above the roots. Do not remove the greens! Rub with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper.

Move the oven rack to its highest spot and turn the broiler on high; alternatively, fire up a charcoal or gas grill on high.

If using a broiler, arrange Sweet Garleeks on a baking sheet lined with foil and/or a wire rack. Place baking sheet directly under the broiler and cook until nicely charred; flip and repeat until charred on all sides.

If using a grill, cook Sweet Garleeks directly on the rack, flipping several times, until evenly charred.

Remove from oven/grill and cover Sweet Garleeks with aluminum foil. Let rest 5 to 10 minutes, or until slightly cooled.

To serve, finish the warm Sweet Garleeks with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and sprinkle of crunchy salt. Dip into the Badger Flame beet romesco and eat whole with your hands.