OMG Beets.
Go ahead. It's ok. You can say it. You can even venture to eat them.
I think the word alone scares a great deal of people away from this red root. The name for the unfmailiar many conjures up images of pickled red discs floating in dark red liquid. I can still remember my college roommate's love for beets and how I would almost cringe every time she ate them. My nose just wrinkled at the memory. I promise though that if you give beets a try (again), it will be worth it! I myself have been eating a lot of beets lately. I didn't discover them again on my own. Turns out it's winter and they keep showing up in my CSA box. I've tried my hand at beet chips but was looking for a more substantial dish. With a dinner party approaching and both red and gold beets in my fridge, I decided to give the following recipe a go. It was a hit!
I've made this salad again since and substituted hazelnuts for the almonds. Also, mache (aka lamb's lettuce) is a must! Enjoy!
roasted beet salad with almond shallot vinaigretteyields 4 servings
2 large beets, peeled and cleaned (one red, one gold)
1/4 cup sliced natural almonds
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large Asian pear
3 cups mache or baby arugula
gorgonzola cheese crumbles
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wrap beets in foil and roast in the oven until tender, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Unwrap beets and allow to cool.
While beets are roasting, cook almonds in oil in a small skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until they are a pale golden brown. Allow almonds to cool in oil (they will get darker as they cool). Transfer almonds with a slotted spoon to a small bowl and season with salt.
Stir together shallot, lemon juice, vinegar, sugar, salt and oil from almonds in a large bowl.
Halve the beets then cut them into 1/4 inch thick slices and add to dressing, tossing to coat.
Quarter and core pear; cut into julienne strips.
Arrange beets on a platter and drizzle with any dressing remaining in bowl. Top with mache and pear strips. Sprinkle with almonds and gorgonzola.
this recipe sounds terrific! that having been said, your college roommate sounds like a really smart lady who probably understood how gross pickled beets are but that they go so well with a plate full of made-from-scratch (or even cheap store brand box) macncheese. i, for one, would like to meet this beet-lover. ;)
ReplyDeleteto clarify: the NON-pickled beets go well with the macncheese. pickled beets are for pickled people. just sayin'. beets are like the butter of the dirt! rejoice for beets!
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