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By six o’clock, the light over Long Beach’s boardwalk turns the color of the fig butter cooling on Margo Palazzo’s counter — amber, unhurried, made for lingering. By day, The Fresh Beet is where the beach crowd refuels: build-your-own salads, fresh-pressed juices, colorful toasts on gluten-free bread, all built around Palazzo’s rule of no asterisks on the menu. After hours, in her own kitchen, Palazzo’s cooking shifts registers, from post-surf fuel to something built for a slower, later kind of evening.
These two bites were made for exactly that: the gathering that starts at seven and drifts past ten, the one where somebody always asks for “just one more glass.” Whether the guest list came together weeks ago or an hour ago, both recipes come together just as easily — prep everything a day out, or start from scratch and plate within the hour.
What follows are two of Palazzo’s favorites for exactly that kind of night: a savory golden beet and goat cheese crostini layered with fig, and a sweet apple toast finished with cinnamon and pomegranate. Both are built to sit out and be grazed on, rather than served all at once.
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RECIPE NAME: THE SAVORY — “GOURD VIBES ONLY”
INGREDIENTS
- 1 medium baguette
- 3 medium golden beets
- 4 oz crumbled goat cheese
- 11 oz fig butter (Margo likes Trader Joe’s)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Pinch of ground sage
- Finely chopped basil
- Diced scallions
- Toasted shelled sunflower seeds
- Balsamic glaze (Trader Joe’s, again)
DIRECTIONS
Wrap the golden beets in foil and roast at 400°F for 30 to 40 minutes, until a knife slides through the center with ease. Unwrap and let cool — the fridge speeds things along. Beets can be made up to two days ahead and refrigerated once unwrapped.
Slice a baguette on the bias, a quarter-inch thick, and lay the slices on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper, then toast lightly and let cool. This, too, can be done up to two days ahead; store airtight.
Once the beets have cooled, peel and dice them. In a bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon zest, salt, pepper, sage and chopped basil, then toss with the diced beets and crumbled goat cheese.
Spread the toasted baguette generously with fig butter, then top with the beet and goat cheese mixture. Finish with toasted sunflower seeds, diced scallions and a drizzle of balsamic glaze.
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RECIPE NAME: THE SWEET — “HOW DO YOU LIKE THEM APPLES”
INGREDIENTS
- 6 slices thin-sliced multigrain or seeded bread (Margo likes Dave’s Killer Good Seed)
- 6 oz cream cheese, or a dairy-free swap like Violife
- 1 Granny Smith apple, cored and diced, skin on
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 1 tbsp light brown sugar
- Pomegranate seeds, for garnish
- Pinch of pink salt
DIRECTIONS
In a bowl, mix the diced apple with the cinnamon, brown sugar and maple syrup until evenly coated.
Toast the bread well, then slice each piece into thirds.
Spread a generous layer of cream cheese on each piece, then top with a spoonful of the apple mixture.
Finish with a pinch of pink salt and a scatter of pomegranate seeds, for a bright pop of color against the cinnamon and cream.
Both bites can be plated a day ahead and held in the fridge, or thrown together within the hour when the evening comes together at the last minute. Set them out on the same board and the colors do half the work — ruby beet on one end, golden apple and pomegranate on the other, with a chilled glass of something crisp to round it out.