Cucumber Cups with Roasted Beets and Yogurt Dressing

Recipe from The Cakebread Cellars American Harvest Cookbook by "Dolores Cakebread, Jack Cakebread" (Ten Speed Press, 2011)

Serves 8

• 1 medium red or golden beet
• 3 tablespoons whole-milk yogurt
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh dill, plus dill sprigs for garnish
• 1 teaspoon very finely minced shallots
• Kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper
• 1 Armenian or English (hothouse) cucumber

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Wrap the beet loosely in aluminum foil, sealing the package tightly. Bake until the beet is tender when pierced, about 1 hour. When cool enough to handle, peel the beet and cut it into very small, neat dice. You should have about 1/2 cup.

Place the diced beet in a small bowl and fold in the yogurt, minced dill, and shallots. Season to taste with salt and white pepper. Chill well.

Peel the cucumber and cut into 1/2-inch-wide chunks. You should have about 2 dozen. Use a melon baller to scoop out the center of each chunk to make room for a filling, taking care not to pierce the bottom and to leave the sides about 1/4 inch thick. Set the cucumber cups on a serving tray and chill. Just before filling, season with salt and white pepper.

To serve, spoon 1 teaspoon of the beet mixture into each cucumber cup and garnish with a small sprig of dill. Serve immediately.

Enjoy with Cakebread Cellars Sauvignon Blanc or another young, dry white wine with good acidity.

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