Local Three’s multipart beet recipe pays dividends

I find beets are a vegetable people either love or think they don’t like. I fall in the group that loves beets and I especially love the Urfa dusted beets at Local Three. How do they make them?

— Michael Gould, Atlanta

“We almost always have a beet dish on the menu, and usually it’s in a salad of ‘stuff,’ allowing us to get a little more funky than the usual salad format of greens + veggies + crouton + dressing,” Jimbo Irvin, Local Three’s director of culinary operations, wrote when he provided the recipe.

“This time we focused on Mediterranean flavors. The Urfa pepper has a raisin-smoky-chocolate flavor, which pairs great with the beets. The addition of the roasted carrots to the hummus adds some depth and sweetness, and the toasted cashews provide some crunch and nuttiness. It’s all finished off with the Calabrian chile honey for some extra punch. The dish makes a great side or starter, and you could always add a protein or increase the amount of beets and arugula to make it a whole meal.”

There are several components to the recipe, and Irvin suggests you’ll find more uses for them than just in this dish. “Make extra of the Calabrian chile honey. You’ll put it on everything. Think roasted broccoli or Brussels sprouts and roasted or grilled meats. It would make a great wing sauce or drizzle it over pizza. Add it to your cheese boards. The carrot hummus is great as a snack on its own.”

When selecting the beets for this recipe, look for beets that are uniform in size, or be prepared to test the beets while they are cooking and remove the smaller ones while the larger ones continue to cook. Cooking the beets in water seasoned with vinegar ensures the beets are seasoned through and through. And boiling the canned chickpeas means your hummus will be creamy and smooth.

Calabrian chiles are small, hot, Italian peppers available packed in jars with olive oil. You can purchase them online or at shops that carry Italian groceries like Tuscany at Your Table in Virginia-Highland. Urfa chile flakes are available online and at international markets like the Buford Highway Farmers Market.

Local Three Kitchen & Bar’s Urfa Dusted Beets

3/4 pound red beets, trimmed and scrubbed

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup balsamic or red wine vinegar

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 recipe Carrot Hummus (see recipe)

1/2 cup baby arugula leaves

1/2 cup crumbled feta

1/4 cup Calabrian Chile Honey (see recipe)

1/2 cup chopped toasted cashews

Pinch of Urfa pepper flakes

Put beets and salt in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Add vinegar and bring water to a boil. Cook, uncovered, until beets are tender, 30 minutes to 1 hour, depending on beet size. Keep an eye on the water level and add more water as needed to keep beets covered.

When beets are tender, drain into a colander, discarding cooking liquid, and, as the beets cool enough to handle, rub off skins.

Cut beets into 1-inch cubes and toss in a large bowl with olive oil. You will have about 4 cups of beets.

Divide carrot hummus between 4 serving plates and spread across plate.

Divide beets between plates. Top beets with arugula and sprinkle feta over arugula.

Drizzle with Calabrian chile honey, garnish with cashews and sprinkle with Urfa pepper flakes. Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

Per serving: 635 calories (percent of calories from fat, 44), 19 grams protein, 74 grams carbohydrates, 37 grams total sugars, 13 grams fiber, 32 grams total fat (7 grams saturated), 17 milligrams cholesterol, 954 milligrams sodium.

Carrot Hummus

Prepare this with carrots of similar size so they roast evenly.

• 1/2 pound carrots, trimmed and peeled
• 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 2 tablespoons tahini
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 1/2 tablespoons pure olive oil
• 2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon Morton kosher salt, plus more to taste

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Arrange carrots on prepared baking sheet and roast 20 minutes or until carrots are tender and begin to caramelize, turning periodically. Remove from oven and cool 5 minutes.
3. While carrots are roasting, put chickpeas in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Boil 15 minutes or until very tender. Drain into a colander and discard cooking water.
4. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the S-blade, process carrots and chickpeas with tahini and garlic until smooth.
5. Add olive oil, lemon juice and salt and process until smooth. If a looser texture is desired, add more olive oil or lemon juice by the teaspoon. The goal is hummus that is a little thicker than a pureed soup. It will thicken as it cools.
6. Taste hummus for seasoning, adding salt as desired. Store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Makes 2 cups.

Per tablespoon: 38 calories (percent of calories from fat, 47), 1 gram protein, 4 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram total sugars, 1 gram fiber, 2 grams total fat (trace saturated fat), no cholesterol, 69 milligrams sodium.

Calabrian Chile Honey

The Local Three kitchen prepares “crispy thyme” by deep-frying thyme sprigs and pulling off the leaves. Irvin suggests the crispy thyme could also be prepared in an air fryer.

• 1 cup honey
• 1 1/2 tablespoons jarred Calabrian chiles, drained, oil reserved
• 3 small garlic cloves
• 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon Morton kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon crispy thyme leaves (see note)
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1. In the jar of a blender, combine honey, chiles, garlic, pepper, salt, thyme and oregano and puree until smooth. If desired, add 1 teaspoon of oil from the jar of Calabrian chiles so the consistency is thick but spreadable.
2. May be made ahead and stored in a covered container for up to 3 days.

Makes 1 generous cup.