Beet Pizza

I know; that sounds totally strange, doesn't it?  But I promise you that beet pizza is delicious.  I went a little crazy buying vegetables when I visited my new favorite farmers market two weeks ago, so I knew I had to get creative if I didn't want to be bored.  I'd only ever had beets in salads before (and once, when I bought these gorgeous golden beets at Borough Market in London, simply roasted and drizzled with a little vinaigrette and eaten hot as a side dish) but I wanted something a bit more substantial for dinner.  So I thought to myself, "How can I have a beet salad but not as a salad?"  And the answer came immediately: put it on a pizza!

See, one of my favorite appetizers to make when friends come over for dinner is pizza - it's always a fun and easy way to throw flavors together while being a low-risk experiment.  My hits are a delicious pie of caramelized red onions, smoked salmon, and mascarpone - just ask Tina, who helped me devour one a few weeks ago - and one topped with blue cheese, arugula, and pear slices.  What did I have to lose by trying it with spinach, goat cheese, and beets?

That's a rhetorical question, by the way, because the pizza was a huge success!  Okay, no one else was around to eat it and agree with me, but when you make it yourself you'll discover just how good it is.  The beets lose some of their earthiness when you roast them and become a bit sweet, providing a perfect counterpoint to the creamy acidity of the goats cheese, and the fresh spinach cuts the richness of the beets and cheese in such a refreshing way.  It was delicious hot out of the oven and, as a bonus, the leftovers are just as yummy cold the next day!

4 small beets, roasted and peeled (see this article for directions; be warned that beet juice can stain!)
8 oz fresh spinach
4 oz crumbled goats cheese
1 ready-to-bake pizza base (I used whole wheat and it complemented the beets really well)
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil

Preheat the oven to 450°f.  Brush the pizza base with olive oil up the the inner edges of the crust, and the sprinkle with half of the goats cheese.  Layer the fresh spinach on top and then drizzle olive oil over the spinach.  Slice your roasted and peeled beets thinly, and arrange them on top of the pie.  Cover the whole thing with the remaining goats cheese and then add just a little salt and plenty of pepper.  Bake straight on the middle oven rack for about 10 minutes, checking after 8 or so to make sure the spinach leaves aren't charring.  Serve hot with a glass of chilled white wine and enjoy!

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