Roast Beet Sandwich

This is a funny little riff on a deli classic, the roast beef sandwich. In this version, I traded in the roast beef for beets to make it vegetarian-friendly, and I used smoked swiss cheese in place of plain swiss cheese to add a smoky note that plays nicely with the sweetness of the beets. Other than that, I didn't monkey around with any other elements. There is still plenty of horseradish sour cream, crisp lettuce, sliced tomato, and pickles on a kaiser roll.

This is the perfect weekend lunch, quick dinner, or perhaps even something to take on a picnic. Once you've made the beets, it's just a matter of assembling the sandwich -- and what's easier than that? I served this cold like you'd find in a deli, but I'd be willing to bet that it would be a great hot sandwich as well. Just stack the hot beets on a buttered, toasted bun and melt the cheese under the broiler. Slather the top with horseradish sauce and dig in.

The 3 Parts of a Roast Beet Sandwich:

(makes 4)

White wine-poached beets:

2 tablespoons olive oil

4-6 medium beets (peeled, sliced into 1/8 inch slices)

1 cup white wine

1 cup water

1 tablespoon sugar

zest from 1 lemon

1 small shallot (minced)

1 splash of champagne vinegar

4 springs thyme

pinch of sea salt

cracked black pepper

Heat oil over medium heat in a medium pan with a lid. Add beets to the oil. Add remaining ingredients and bring mixture up to a simmer. Lower the heat and place the lid on the pan. Cook for 30 minutes or until tender. Allow beets to cool. (This is a great way to prepare beets for a beet salad as well.)

Horseradish sauce:

1/2 cup sour cream

1-2 teaspoons of freshly grated horseradish

small pinch of sea salt

cracked black pepper

Mix ingredients together.

Assembling the roast beet sandwiches:

4 seeded kaiser rolls

4-8 slices of smoked swiss cheese

white wine-poached beets

horseradish sauce

lettuce

tomato

pickles

sea salt & cracked pepper

Place cheese on the bottom part of the bun; this will keep the bread from turning pink from beet juice. Stack 5-6 beet slices on top of the cheese followed by lettuce, tomato, and dill pickle slices. Smear the top bun with horseradish sauce and give the sandwich one more sprinkle of salt and pepper. You are now ready to enjoy some roast beet.