Roasted Beet Salad

A delicious main dish salad for a luncheon or light supper, this recipe is from the book “From Asparagus to Zucchini: A Guide to Cooking Farm-Fresh Seasonal Produce–Third Edition”, published by the Madison Area Community Supported Agriculture Coalition, Jones Books, Madison, Wisconsin, 2004. Jenny Bonde and Rink DaVee of Shooting Star Farm shared their recipe, adapted from Michael Waupoose’s winning entry in the 2001 Food for Thought Recipe Contest.
Servings: 2-4
Ingredients:
6-8 small Beets, scrubbed, tops trimmed to 1 inch
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/4 cup Pecans or Walnuts
1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
4 Tablespoons White Wine Vinegar
1/2 cup extra-virgin Olive Oil
4 cups baby Salad greens
1/2 sweet Onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup crumbled Blue Cheese (Feta cheese may be substituted)
Dried Cranberries, optional
Directions:
To prepare beets:
1. Heat outdoor or indoor grill.
2. Place beets on heavy foil; drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. Wrap tightly; grill until beets can be easily pierced with a fork, about 30 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, toast pecans on a dry pan on the grill, tossing frequently. Finely chop the nuts.
5. When beets are cooled a bit, use a paper towel to remove the peel, stems and tails. Cut beets into quarters.
To prepare dressing:
1. Combine mustard and vinegar in a bowl. Whisk in olive oil until thickened. Add salt and pepper.
2. Toss salad greens in a bowl with a little dressing.
To finish salad:
Portion the greens onto 2-4 plates. Top with beets, onions, blue cheese, and pecans. Drizzle with more dressing, according to personal taste. If using dried cranberries, sprinkle over the top of salad.