Top Chef, Season 6, Episode 13, Elimination Challenge

• 1 pound Beets
• 1 lb Baby carrots
• 2 tablespoons Butter
• 2 tablespoons Apple Cider Syrup
• 1 cup carrot tops
• 1/3 cup chives
• 1/3 cup parsley
• 1/3 cup tarragon
• 1Z2 cup honey
• 2 cups olive oil
• San Andreas Cheese
• Chives (garnish)

For Beets:

Trim ends off beets- make sure one side is flat. Place beets in a large pan with the flat side down and cover the bottom with 1/8 inch of water. Cover pan with foil and place in the over at 400 degrees for and hour and half until tender. The remove the pan from the oven and leave covered until it reaches room temperature. Once the beets have reached room temperature peel the skin off the beets.

For Carrots:

Cut the baby carrots into oblique shapes and place in a deep saucepan.

Cover with 2 cups of water, 2 tbls butter, 2 tbls apple cider syrup (if you cannot find apple cider syrup- you can make some by just reducing apple cider until thick). The liquid should barely cover tops of carrots. Cook uncovered on medium high heat until all the liquid is gone and carrots are just tender. Remove from pan and let cool on a sheet tray in an even layer so as to stop the cooking process.

For Carrot Top puree

Add 1 cup carrot tops with 1/3 cup of each chives, parsley, and tarragon into a blender. Place 6 ice cubes in the blender and then add enough olive oil to cover 3Z4 of the ingredients. Blend quickly on high- adjust with water if needed as the carrot tops contain a nature coagulant. Season with salt and pepper. Then pass through a strainer- reserve and refrigerate.

For the Honey Vinaigrette

Add 1Z2 cup honey to sauté pan and boil until the honey has turned to stages darker in color. You should smell the changes. Then add 1 cup apple cider vinegar and bring to a boil. Add salt and pepper- and blend with 1 cup of olive oil.

To plate

Toss carrots and beets with honey vinaigrette in a bowl- season if needed and sprinkle with chives. Remove carrot top puree from fridge- mix thoroughly as the puree will thick. Spoon some puree on bottom of plate. Top with carrots and beets. And then shave the San Andreas Cheese on top.