THIRTY-ONE & THIRTY-TWO : BEET SALAD

AUGUST 17 2011


THIRTY-ONE : BEETS
THIRTY-TWO : ROASTED BEET & AVOCADO SALAD

I want to like beets... I really, really do. But it hasn't happened yet. I thought my dislike might stem from their irritating habit of staining everything they come in contact with bright red, so decided to grow some sweet little candy-striped beets in my garden this year and give them another try. I saved up my entire harvest of the little guys and put them all into this salad. But, it turns out, I still don't really like beets... even my own beets.

The salad required me to incorporate the "Beets" recipe from the veggie section, which was simply roasting them with olive oil, salt and white pepper. At this point, they could be served as is or used for a couple of different salads.

baby beets ready for roasting

I was worried they would cook unevenly since, as you can see, there were a wide variety of sizes. But, after 45 minutes, they were all perfect! I do think they are adorable with their stripy pattern.

roasted candy-stripe beets

Once the roasted beets had cooled slightly, I peeled them (the most painstaking part of the whole dish) then tossed them with cut up avocado and a balsamic vinaigrette. I can't fault the salad itself... it was actually pretty nice. Just way too beet-y for my (or hubby's) taste. And my avocados were a little under-ripe. We were also eating some fried polenta and discovered that a bite of salad with a chunk of the polenta was a huge improvement... seemed to downplay the beet-y flavor. Maybe revamp the salad as a polenta topping? Hmm...

roasted beet & avocado salad

I chose not to include the Chipollini Onion Vinaigrette in the dressing as it was optional and there are two other salads where it is not optional so I know I will make it eventually. Luckily, we just harvested a bunch of chipollini onions so I can make it anytime I need to!