Beets & Plums

everytime i roast beets i get so mad at myself for forgetting how much i love them. beets get a totally bad rap... i believe this is due to the fact that they are most commonly found straight from the can either sliced or julienned. the canned form works in a pinch as a quick fix for beet lovers but doesn't do much beyond that. if you "hate beets" (and i know there are a lot of you out there) then i challenge you to try them again - roasted - there is just nothing else like it.

i was cruising the farmers market on tuesday - beets in hand - wandering around tasting all the lovely plums that are out right now when i remembered something i hadn't thought about in a long time. 4 years ago whitney and i were in eugene for the oregon-usc game and we had a fabulous lunch at marche in the fifth street market. i don't remember much about that meal except the oysters on the half shell were to die for, we had a bottle of something super yummy and i had a lovely salad with beets & plums.

so i set out to perfect my salad with beets & plums and here's what i came up with. i'm super pleased with how well the dressing turned out for being so simple - i think its the dressing and beets that really make the salad. i left the plum out and added a chopped hard boiled egg today for my lunch and it was just as fabulous. use a good quality mild feta - nothing too salty - otherwise, substitute goat cheese.

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Mixed Greens with Roasted Beets & Plums

salad:
3 medium size red or golden beets
3 large handfuls mixed greens (i used just plain arugula)
2 plums, chopped
1/2 cup crumbled mild feta (more or less to taste)
1/2 cup toasted pecans

dressing:
1/2 shallot, finely diced
2 tsp. honey
4 tsp. apple cider vinegar (i used braggs - obvi!)
2 tbsp. olive oil

preheat the oven to 400 degrees. give the beets a good scrub and put in a baking dish with about a half inch of water and cover tightly with foil. roast until a knife inserts easily through the middle, about 45-55 mins depending on size. meanwhile, mix together the shallot, honey & vinegar until combined. if your honey is thick and grainy, microwave it for 15-30 seconds until its super liquidy and it mixes so much easier. keep whisking and drizzle in the olive oil. set aside.

when the beets come out of the oven, let them sit uncovered for a few minutes until they have cooled enough to pick them up. use a little running water to help you and the skins just pull right off. quarter and slice the peeled beets, toss them with a few tablespoons of the dressing while they are still warm and set aside.

toss together the greens, plums, dressing and salt & pepper to taste. top with the beets, feta & pecans. makes 2 huge servings or 4 smaller ones.

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added a chopped hard-boiled egg for a little protein in today's lunch