I know, I know I hear you! Enough with the beets already. But this not-so-basic-beet salad you just HAVE to make.
The final chapter in this ever-loving beet saga is actually the appetizer from my Beet-inspired menu. This salad is bursting with flavors of the season- stewed rhubarb, succulent beet, and smooth feta. It is accented by a tangy citrus dressing and crisp potato.
Clearly an eye catching start to any meal big or small, but it’s the elegant flavors in this starter that really hold your attention…
The Not-So-Basic Beet Salad
Serves 4
Ingredients
4-5 red beets
20 small purple potatoes
2 stems rhubard
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 orange, zested with citrus zester, and juiced (juice reserved for dressing)
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp red wine vinegar
4 teaspoons crumbled feta
8 large basil leaves
Picked and washed Parsley and Cilantro leaves for garnish
salt and pepper
Method
1. Clean and scrub beets. Wrap in aluminum foil with a little oil, salt and pepper, and roast on a baking sheet at 400 degree F oven for 45 minutes or until skin peels away. Reserve the beet juice collected in the aluminum foil for dressing. Once the beets have cooled, peel off the skin with a paper towel and cut each beet into quarters.
2. Scrub potatoes and pierce with a fork. Place in a roasted pan with a little oil and a thin bed of salt. Place in oven with the beets and cook through (about 35-45min depending). Let cool a bit and slice in half.
3. Wash and slice rhubarb into 1/2 inch pieces and bring to quick boil in a sauce pan with water and sugar. Lower temperature and let stew on simmer for 2-3 minutes to soften (do not let it get mushy).
4. Zest and juice 1 orange. Add juice to the reserve beet juice, along with the Dijon mustard and red wine vinegar. Whisk to combine adding a little olive oil if necessary to reach desired dressing consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Add dressing to the potatoes just to coat. Take a pastry brush and brush beets with a little dressing or olive oil if your dressing is quite strong. Season slightly.
6. Place two basil leaves on each plate. Top with beets, potatoes and rhubarb, crumbling feta and orange zest over. Garnish with fresh herb leaves and serve.
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| Beet-boxing |
To make the dish look even more appetizing set your table with accent colors. Use orange, purple, and charcoal grey to highlight the red and pink from the beets for each course in this menu.
Darcy Jones
