Frost Bites

Seeking hearty yet healthy options for cold-weather snacking, we asked our café chefs to share some simple recipes for their favorite "frost bites." The result was a savory pair-- Roasted Beet & Goat Cheese Dip with Pumpkin Seed Cakes from Styer's chef Keith Rudolf, and crispy, flavorful Everything Bagel Crackers from chef Jared Frazer in Westport.

Roasted Beet & Goat Cheese Dip with Pumpkin Seed Cakes

Roasted Beet & Goat Cheese Dip
1 bunch baby red beets
1/4 cup goat cheese, softened
1 tablespoon finely minced chives
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
Splash sherry vinegar
Salt & white pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Remove green tops from beets (reserve the greens for a stir fry or salad). Place beets on aluminum foil and drizzle with olive oil, then fold the foil into a package around them. Roast for one hour, until beets have softened, then place in the refrigerator to chill. Once beets are chilled, peel and chop roughly.

Place chopped beets, goat cheese, and sherry vinegar in a food processor and purée until smooth. Once puréed, add chives, salt, and pepper. Transfer to serving bowl then drizzle with olive oil.

Pumpkin Seed Cakes
1/2 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup warm water
2 tablespoons hazelnut or sunflower oil

In a coffee grinder, grind pumpkin seeds until smooth. Combine ground seeds, flour, sea salt, and baking powder in a mixing bowl. Add warm water, a little at a time, until you create a pliable ball of dough. Cover dough with a clean, dry kitchen towel for about 3 hours.

Divide the dough into 8 cakes, approximately 2” wide and 1/2" thick. Coat an iron skillet with oil and pan fry cakes for 6-8 minutes on each side over medium-high heat, until both sides are dark brown.

Everything Bagel Crackers (makes 85 crackers)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup warm water
1/3 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons poppy seed
3 tablespoons caraway seed
2 tablespoons sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix flour and salt in mixing bowl or mixer. Slowly add water and oil, mixing until fully incorporated. Allow to rest for 10 minutes. Roll out dough until thin, and cut into triangles or shapes as desired. Sprinkle with poppy, caraway, and sea salt. Bake on a greased sheet pan until toasted and dry. Serve with your favorite cheese, dip, or hummus.