If your CSA share has been anything like mine this season, you've gotten bundle upon bundle of beets. I've exhausted all my standard recipes and barely made a dent. What to do with all of those beets? How about a simple and hearty salad! Roasting beets allows all the natural sugars to concentrate, creating a luscious, sweet and savory dish. Feel like giving it an extra pop? Add goat cheese and give your mouth the chance to take pleasure in all the textures of this salad.
Nutrition Fact: The delicate beet greens, which are an excellent source of potassium, folic acid, and magnesium, make this dish even more healthful.
- 6 medium beets with beet greens attached
- 2 large oranges
- 1 small sweet onion, cut through root end into thin wedges
- 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel
Trim greens from beets. Cut off and discard stems. Coarsely chop leaves and reserve. Wrap each beet in foil. Place beets directly on oven rack and roast until tender when pierced with fork, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Cool. Peel beets, then cut each into 8 wedges. Place beets in medium bowl.
Cook beet greens in large saucepan of boiling water just until tender, about 2 minutes. Drain. Cool. Squeeze greens to remove excess moisture. Add greens to bowl with beets. Cut and peel the white pith from oranges. Working over another bowl and using a small sharp knife, cut between membranes to release segments. Add orange segments and onion to bowl with beet mixture. Whisk vinegar, oil, garlic, and orange peel in small bowl to blend; add to beet mixture and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour. Makes 6 servings.
Recipe from Bon Appetite Magazine: January 2004
