Beets are my favorite food. I might be a little obsessed. If you haven’t yet, read Tom Robbins’ book Jitterbug Perfume and you will understand. You might even become a convert.
Anyways, beets are king at the winter farmer’s market. We go to every winter market and I can never resist the beets. I buy the traditional red, golden and chioggia varieties and savor the beautiful color and earthy, sweet flavor of every bite. This salad that I made is a veritable localvore dream and my own take on another Moosewood Cookbook favorite. At the last market, I was able to get some shallots and spinach from the Jericho Settlers’ Farm, the first greens of the season! I bought my delicious beet variety from the Full Moon Farm and last but not least, my delicious Doe’s Leap goat cheese. Maybe it’s just my imagination, but the fresh local ingredients add a special punch to this salad. If you don’t already have a farmer’s market that you already frequent, you can find one near you here.
Roasted beet and shallot salad – adapted from the Moosewood Cookbook – Low Fat Favorites
Ingredients:
4-6 beets, any variety
3-5 shallots, depending on size
1 bag fresh spinach
goat cheese
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Trim ends of beets and wrap individually in foil. Peel shallots and wrap together in foil. When oven is preheated, put foil wrapped beets and shallots in the oven for 1 hour or until beets are tender. You can test this by inserting a fork into one of the beets, if it goes in and out smoothly, the beets are done. Unwrap beets and shallots, allow to cool. Once beets are cool enough to handle, peel them using your fingers and a paper towel (my favorite trick) or a peeler if you prefer. Slice shallots. Toss together with spinach and goat cheese crumbles. Drizzle with a little bit of olive oil and balsamic vinegar and finish with a dash of salt and pepper. Enjoy!
For Nana 