Baby Beet, Cucumber, Olive, and Feta Skewers

I love the color and flavor of beets. So striking in their bright garnet color, and thier earthy subtle crunch pairs well with the creamy feta and crunchy cucumber. This tapas skewer is like a mini salad in each bite.

We served these alongside a beautiful bottle of Rioja, some Manchego Cheese Canapes, and of course some extra olives.

Finding new tapas recipes is one of my favorite things. There are so many different ways to pair delicious bites with wine or cocktails, and never ending variations of those dishes. This one is from a Spanish and Basque restauranteur Gerald Hirigoyen from his book Pintxos. This could easily be turned into a quick salad is you don’t want to fiddle with skewers.

If you are looking for a cocktail to pair these bites with, here are a few favorites: Gin Tonic, Mediterranean Sauco, Vermouth Cocktail, Sangria, and just because I love it, a Portuguese addition, the Porto Tonico.

Baby Beets, Cucumbers, Olives, and Feta Skewers

8 mini beets or 2 small to medium-sized beets
Salt and pepper
8 squares feta cheese, approximately ¾ inch square to 1 ½ inches thick
8 pitted kalamata olives
1 Persian or mini cucumber, sliced into 8 slices
Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
Moscatel or champagne vinegar for drizzling

1. Preheat oven to 400°F

2. Trim the stems of the unpeeled beets leaving ½ inch intact. Place beets in a small baking dish along with ¼ cup water, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast the beets for 30 minutes, or up to 60 minutes for larger beets, until they are just tender when pierced with a small knife. Once roasted, transfer to a bowl of cold water. When cool enough to handle, top and tail them and remove the skins, if skins do not readily come off, peel gently using a pairing knife. If you are using small-medium sized beets, quarter them, if using mini beets they can be used as they are. 

3. Using 8 small bamboo skewers: For the quartered beets: thread 1 olive, 1 cucumber slice, 1 cube feta*, and finally the beet quarter. For mini beets, skewer the olive, cucumber, beet, and finally the feta on the bottom. 

4. Arrange the skewers on a small platter, drizzle with olive oil and vinegar, sprinkle with salt and pepper.  

*Feta can be very crumbly. Be careful not to split the feta as you slide it onto the skewer, if your skewers are on the thicker side you can pierce the cubes of feta with a toothpick a few times to create a pilot hole before skewering them. 

Adapted from Pintxos by Gerald Hirigoyen