I’m not sure if others bloggers would agree with this, but I’ve realized another thing since starting Mitts and Measures. It’s a very distressing thing to be photographing your food and trying to concentrate on the best shots… when there’s somebody hungry in the room and waiting for their food. I mean… you’ve already gone through the whole cooking process and the time has come to really put the very best shine you can on the finished product. You’re trying to move quickly while zooming in, zooming out, stepping forward, stepping back, angling, crouching, tipping…. but  you feel it. The pressure. While pretending to be patient and doing all they can to help out and speed up dinner preparations…. all they want, is to eat. Hard to really know who is the most annoyed affected in this situation, but all’s well that ends well…every time. I think?
I tried this recipe out the other day that I got in Bon Appétit magazine. It turned out fabulous but the pictures (*clearing throat*) were a little rushed. If you can find gold beets when you’re shopping for ingredients, I would definitely use a combination of beets for color. As you can see, I couldn’t find any when I needed them. The vinaigette is delicious and I strongly suggest not skimping on it when serving. That, over the warm beets with the creaminess of the burrata and the slight delicious bite of charred green onion… a wonderful summer side!
Grilled Beets with Burrata and Poppy Seed Vinaigrette
1 small shallot, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. Sherry Vinegar
2 tsp. poppy seeds
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. finely grated orange zest
1/4 cup vegetable oil
5 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 lb. mixed baby beets (any color), trimmed, divided
1 bunch scallions, root ends trimmed
1 lb burrata or fresh mozzarella, cut into 8 wedges
Whisk shallot, vinegar, poppy seeds, mustard, and orange zest in a medium bowl. Whisk in vegetable oil, then 2 Tbsp. olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Set vinaigrette aside.
Peel and thinly slice 1 beet; set aside.
Prepare a grill for medium heat. Toss remaining beets with 2 Tbsp. olive oil in a medium bowl; season with salt and pepper. Grill beets, covered, turning occasionally, until tender, 30-35 minutes. Transfer beets to a plate and let cool.
Meanwhile, toss scallions with remaining 1 Tbsp. olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Grill scallions, turning occasionally, until charred, about 2 minutes.
Using a paper towel, rub skins from beets and cut into bite-size pieces. Toss beets and reserved dressing in a medium bowl. Place cheese on plates or a platter and top with scallions, dressed beets, and reserved beet slices.
Do Ahead:Â Vinaigrette can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Beets can be grilled and peeled 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before serving.
I agree – I have to be quick with the camera! My kids always sigh but they are used to it now!! They often even ask before they eat – have you taken a shot of this yet?! Love beetroot – great piece!
Thanks so much… I’m glad you like it. It was really tasty! And yes, it can get a little weird sometimes… like they’re trained to get their food only after the photo’s are over! What have we done to our families? Hahaha….
I can relate to the photographing of a meal. I always take the cold plate that has been photographed and then serve my husband a warm plate of food. Grilling the beets outside instead of roasting is perfect for summer.
Hi Karen, I always try to grill as much as I can in the summer. Love the flavor and it keeps the kitchen cool. Thanks so much for your comments!
This is awesome! I can’t get enough of grilled beets. One way not to keep the hungry people waiting is perhaps to separate out a plate on its own for photographs. It works for me 🙂
Thanks so much. Yes, I love them, too. I do try to do that but of course they’re also waiting for me to come to the table. I’ll learn to juggle it all eventually! I guess it’s true that nobody really knows if the food is hot or cold when it’s shot! 🙂
Love the sound of the burrata, as I’d never heard of it. Have just Googled, and apparently it’s very popular in London. Haven’t seen it here, but nowadays I live in the sticks! Also like the poppy seeds in the vinaigrette. Must remember to buy the seeds next time I’m close by the International store.
You can always use fresh mozzarella, but burrata is lovely with the addition of the wonderful creamy center. Hope you can find it! 🙂
Haha, so true! Photographing is by far the most time consuming part! Especially when the person lingering around considers the food making process done, but as a food blogger, it’s only done when the photos are taken… Good job though, and thanks for opening my eyes for burrata! I’ve never tried that before, but sure does look delicious!
Exactly! Oh and good….you have to try burrata then. It’s wonderful. Thanks so much!
This sounds so good and healthy–I will need to try it!
Oh I hope you do. Any leftover beets and vinaigrette are great the next day, cold out of the fridge, too. Thanks so much!
Hi Julie,
Thanks for visiting my blog and taking the time to leave such a nice comment.
I certainly recognize the pressure of photographing the finished dish quickly.
The photos don’t look bad for being rushed — it was probably evening when you shot these so you could improve them a bit by editing the colors.
Good luck with your blog!
Stefan
Hi Stefan, Thanks so much. Yes, I need to get good photo software. It’s on my “must do” list! 🙂
Google’s Picasa is free and does a good job correcting colors.
I’m going to check it out. Thank you so much for that tip!
I’ve joked with friends that I’ve not had a hot meal in weeks. That’s closer to the truth than I care to admit. I cannot get enough burrata, so, this recipe is going to straight to the “must make” list. It sounds too good to pass up. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks, John. Glad you like it. Haha… I can totally relate to what you’re saying about a hot meal. It’s bad when my son calls to say he’s going to stop by and asks what food I have on hand and I have to tell him “there’s no food here.” Not only does he not get it… I don’t either! :p
Two of my favorite things. We have a friend who makes it by hand for my wife’s restaurant. Really sublime stuff. I never thought of grilling beets, but it makes sense. Ken
Mine, too, Ken. Love them both. Grilling them was easy and took the heat out of the kitchen. For some reason, no matter what I do though (use gloves, paper towels, etc.), I always end up with red fingers anyway. Oh well… everything’s a trade off! 🙂
I have never grilled beets before. What a great idea when it is 90° outside. We eat beets so often around here and it is nice to have another way to cook them without heating up the kitchen. Same situation around here as far as taking the photos. Nothing worse than the poor hungry souls pacing the kitchen or standing around while trying to get the shot just right! My post today is a perfect example of that! 🙂
Yes, you must try grilling them sometime…. don’t you just love summer when you take so much of the cooking outside? Someday I’ll get the timing down a little better with serving time and shooting photos, but it seems I have a ways to go! 🙂
Love beets, especially roasted or grilled and burrata is always so wonderful, together. Heaven!! I know exactly what you mean, no humans here besides me but the pugs, well they can be more demanding and it’s hard to reason with them. Never fails, when I am trying to take photo’s one or both has to go out, or are hungry. I try to explain that I need to concentrate but they just don’t get it. BTW, your photo’s are beautiful.
Thanks so much! Yes, our little pup, Ralphie can be very high maintenance as well. I guess I should at least be thankful that my husband doesn’t actually “beg” for food like Ral! 🙂
Love beetroot, recipe is delightful. Know what you mean about photographing. I tell my other half to start and take some snaps. The rule is if it’s getting cold I stop snapping. If images then aren’t good enough, too bad, they don ‘t get posted, food enjoyment and flavour comes first. Thanks for the interesting thoughts!
Thank you! Yes, the same rules apply here… thus the pressure. But it’s all good! 🙂
This looks amazing and I love the photos!
Thank you so much! 🙂