Having trouble getting a dinner reservation for Valentine’s Day? Treat your special someone to a home-cooked meal instead! Here’s the recipe for The Greens at Copake Country Club’s Red Beet Farroto with Truffle Mascarpone Cream, courtesy of Chef Freddie Dumlao.
Ingredients:
For the beets
2 medium-large red beets
Juice of 1 lemon
1 cup salt
2 quarts water
For the farro
2 cups farro
3 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, sliced
2 cups red wine (use a wine you’d drink!)
2 1/2 cups cold water
1 cup parmesan
Salt and pepper to taste
For the truffle mascarpone cream
2 cups heavy cream
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup mascarpone
2 tbsp grated parmesan
Black pepper
1 tbsp truffle oil
1 tbsp black truffle, drained and chopped (optional)
Directions:
• Bring two quarts of salted, acidulated water to a boil and then add the beets. Cook for 20-40 minutes, until the beets are soft yet still “beet” red. Remove the beets, let them cool, and peel them. Be sure to save the water they cooked in.
• Meanwhile, heat oil in a pot over medium heat and add the farro. Toast it lightly, add sliced garlic and cook until that too is toasted. Add red wine and reduce to a dry state. Add two and a half cups of cold, lightly salted water and bring to a simmer. Let simmer for 20 minutes, until water has been absorbed and farro is al dente.
• Add the beets and beet water to the farro and cook for another 20 minutes, until farro is soft and has absorbed most of the color from the wine and beets. Add the parmesan, folding it into the cooked farro.
• Then, simmer the heavy cream in a small pot on medium heat for several minutes. Scrape the sides with a spatula. Turn off the heat and, using a hand immersion blender, buzz in the butter, mascarpone, parmesan, truffle oil, salt and pepper. This will give the cream a foamy consistency. Add black truffles if you’d like.
• Plate your farro/beet mixture, and top it with the mascarpone cream. For this dish, I folded in a little extra mascarpone and some chiffonade kale and topped it with some microgreens.
