The idea for this recipe came from a seasonal special at The Black Cypress restaurant in Pullman, Washington. Roasting the beets with their tops and tails attached results in amazing flavor. Look for locally-grown beets and hardy greens at your winter farmers market or in the produce department of your local natural foods or farm store. This recipe pairs well with Wing Over Farm's fall spinach available in their self-serve farm store (911 Mountain View Rd, Moscow, Idaho) or with WSU Organic Farm's winter mustard greens currently available at the Moscow Food Co-op. Brush Creek Creamery has an amazing orchard blue cheese that would taste delicious in this dish!
Ingredients
6-8 small red or yellow beets, or a mix of both
2 tablespoons olive oil plus more for roasting
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons grated orange zest
1/2 cup salted pistachios (shelled)
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
4 cups local salad greens
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 F. Cut greens off beets (if they are still attached) leaving about 1 inch of the stem intact. Drizzle beets with olive oil and place in a baking pan. Roast, turning every 15 minutes, until tender when pierced with a fork - this will take about 40 minutes for the smallest beets and up to an hour or more for larger beets. As beets become tender, remove from the oven and place on a plate to cool.
When the beets are cool enough to handle, peel and cut into rounds about 1/4 inch thick. Place in a bowl.
In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Slowly add the olive oil while whisking to make a thick vinaigrette.
Divide the salad greens among four individual plates,. Top with the beet rounds and drizzle with vinaigrette. Sprinkle with crumbled blue cheese and pistachios. Garnish with orange zest.
Serve immediately.
Recipe type #salad