The Charlotte Jewish News- April 2026- Page 28
The Recipe File: The Unforgettable I Carry Forward
By Elizabeth Johnson
Beets are a curiously funny vegetable: ugly, knobby, earthy, and a little messy. The sort of ingredient that asks you to trust it. Give them a little heat and patience in the oven, and something magical happens. Their rough exterior softens, their sweetness deepens, and suddenly what looked humble becomes quietly spectacular.
Food memories have a way of traveling with us. My love of beets takes me straight back to the seven years I spent living in Düsseldorf, Germany. There, roasting a pan of beets often felt like the easiest way to feed myself something grounding and deeply satisfying. They quickly became one of those ingredients I returned to time and again.
My time abroad was packed.
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Work for a global firm. The occasional stumble of heels on Old Town’ s cobblestone streets. Wednesday night traditions on Ratinger Strasse. A slew of girlfriends’ visits paired with weekend train trips to Amsterdam. Brie and cucumber sandwiches. Coffees that were more milk than coffee. Long walks home along the Rhine River past Frank Gehry’ s Neuer Zollhof. Saturday mornings in the market followed by Saturday afternoons in the beer gardens. And travel to faroff places.
Birthdays in London. Summer weekends in Sicily. Winter escapes to the Canary Islands to outrun the long, dark German days. There was also the notso-small triumph of mastering a language that was foreign to most, myself included for the first couple of years.
December brought the world-famous markets that glowed across the country. The air was thick with the scents of cinnamon, roasted nuts, mulled red wine, and the unmistakable bratwurst sizzling on open grills. But saving the best for last, my favorite was always the Kartoffelpuffers, or as we call them, latkes.
Fried until shatteringly crisp, a little greasy between the fingers and best dipped into tart, never sweet, applesauce. Standing in the wintry chill with friends, breath fogging the cold air, devouring those potato delicacies, it was impossible not to look around and think: I am so lucky.
Those are the memories that still echo.
But the dishes that stay with us are not always the grand ones. More often they are simple, modest ingredients transformed by heat, salt, and a little care.
This roasted beet salad is exactly that kind of dish. A bright balance of flavors and textures: creamy yogurt, crunchy hazelnuts, salty feta, fresh lemon, and my favorite flourish, chopped dill.
It is simple enough for a weeknight, elegant enough for Shabbat, and the quintessential brisket sidekick for your Passover Seder.
Roasted Beets with Lemon Yogurt, Hazelnuts & Dill
Ingredients
• 6- 8 beets
• Olive oil
• Red wine vinegar
• 1 cup full-fat plain yogurt
• Juice of one lemon
• Zest of 2 lemons
• 1 tbsp. mayonnaise
• ½ cup hazelnuts – toasted and chopped
• ½ cup feta cheese
• ¼ cup freshly chopped dill
• Fresh craked pepper
• Maldon salt
Prepare the Beets
• Heat oven to 425 ° F.
• Wrap each beet individually in foil, drizzling generously with olive oil, red wine vinegar and a crack of black pepper.
• Place the wrapped beets on a baking sheet and roast for one hour.
• Remove from the oven and
let cool for about 30 minutes.
• Unwrap carefully, transferring those gorgeous purple juices to a shallow dish.
• Peel gently with your fingers. Expect purple fingertips – it washes off!
• Chop into 2-inch pieces.
Lemon Yogurt Prep
• In a bowl, combine yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and the zest of one lemon. Give it a generous mix.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Spread across the bottom of a serving platter.
Salad Assembly
• Carefully spoon the chopped beets over the yogurt base.
• Now, drizzle the purple juices on top.
• Scatter with your hazelnuts, crumbled feta and fresh dill.
• Squeeze half a lemon on top, dust with lemon zest, a few cracks of black pepper, and a generous pinch or two of Maldon salt.
Cook’ s Notes
Don’ t skip the Maldon salt, one of my secret weapons in the kitchen. The flaky crystals take it from delicious to unforgettable. Trust me, one box goes a long way!