recipe: minty orange-beet salad

On 22 August, 2012 · 1 Comment · In food for thought

Beets. They’re kind of my thing these days. Well, not just these days – for a lot of days lately. We planted a bunch in our community garden last year, which was probably the first time I had ever eaten them; definitely the first time I had ever cooked them myself. I tossed them with honey and salt and roasted them in the oven over and over, loving the earthy sweet softness.

When they sprouted up this year, I wanted to try something different. After a disastrous soup made at a friend’s house (basically we followed a borscht recipe except for we quadrupled the amount of beets. Mistake), I went a different direction. And LOVED it. I basically complimented this salad nonstop while we ate it. Ben nodded in agreement but seemed understandably annoyed by my self-congratulating enthusiasm. Poor guy. At least he got some beet salad.

Oh! And: they turn your pee magenta. Don’t worry, you don’t have a terrible disease.

Minty Orange-Beet Salad

Ingredients:

six medium-sized beets, prepped following instructions below
six whole cloves garlic
olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste
1 large orange or two smaller oranges, peeled and cut into chunks
1/2 small-medium yellow onion, sliced very thin
1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
handful of fresh mint
1/2 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

How To:

The basic preparation of the beets here is to peel them and cook them. I personally prefer to do it in that order – peel them raw, then cook away – but I know that others like to cook them first since their peels slide off somewhat easily once they’re soft. Last time I tried that I just burnt my fingers due to impatience, so I’m sticking with the pre-peel.
Cut peeled beets into quarters or eighths. Toss in a bowl with the garlic cloves, drizzle of olive oil, and a little shake of salt and pepper.
Roat the beets. My way: wrap the beets and garlic in aluminum foil and stick them on a high-heat grill for about 20-30 minutes. Another option: Spread them out on a baking sheet and put them in a 400 degree oven for about half an hour. They’re done when the garlic is browning and soft, and the beets feel tender but not mushy.
Allow the beets to cool. (You can even do the roasting step a day in advance and toss them in the fridge overnight).
Get your onion and orange cut into slices and chunks, respectively.
Add onion, orange, beets, garlic, and goat cheese to a bowl. Toss with the honey and vinegar until liberally coated.
Wash and chop the fresh mint and mix into salad, adding a bit on top for garnish.
Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to eat – if kept cold, it still tastes great the next day.