Recipe: Roasted Beet and Beet Green Salad a la, You Guessed it, The Farmer’s Market!!!
Here we go folks, another Fabulous Farmer’s Market recipe! This is really fun and challenging. Stay with me because I still have two more meals to show you – still from out FIRST Farmer’s Market Adventure! This weekend my Dad and Stepmom are coming to visit and guess where we are going Saturday AM – you guessed it! I will try to get some better pictures of the market itself…this was the best I could find from our maiden voyage.
Anyway, I digress…
I am a die hard beet fan. I just love them. Maybe it is their beautiful color, maybe it is their sweet taste, maybe it is the fact that they just SCREAM health. Whatever it is, when I see good looking beets, I am all over them, I can’t resist.
My favorite way to prepare them, is to roast them. It just really brings out their sweetness – it is like making vegetable candy. I could eat em by the bowl full. But me, I love the entire beet, I love the sweet purple root and I also adore the bitter greens. Nothing goes to waste – just the root if it is still attached.
I got gorgeous beets at the Farmer’s Market. In fact this dish is the dish I made the night we went to the Farmer’s Market. I just could not wait to dig in! I paired the roasted beets with goat cheese and pine nuts and served it on a bed of baby greens and wilted beet greens. It doesn’t get fresher than this guys. We just loved this salad. We ate along side crusty country bread also purchased at the Farmer’s Market dipped in reserve Greek olive oil from Kalamata. It was heaven.
INGREDIENTS:
8 fresh beets
2 TBS olive oil
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried thyme
salt & pepper to taste
nice bunch of fresh beet greens from the 8 fresh beets
1 cup baby greens tossed in good olive oil and balsamic vinegar
goat cheese
2 TBS pine nuts, toasted
METHOD:
Preheat oven to 425 F. Wash and trim beets, leaving their skins on. Wash and reserve beet greens.
Line a cookie sheet with tin foil. Place beets on cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with rosemary, thyme, salt & pepper. Shake cookie sheet so that beets get coated with oil and spices. Place in the preheated oven and roast for 45 minutes or until beets are fork tender.
Take beets out of the oven and peel skins off. Note: If you care about your nails, which some people do, wear gloves, or you will have red dye under your nails for days afterwards. Do not run under water as it will wash away a lot of flavor. Cut into quarters. Drizzle with good extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar, salt & pepper. Toss and set aside.
In a skillet warm 1 tsp olive oil. Add beet greens and cook until wilted.
To plate put baby greens down, top with wilted beet greens, spoon on top roasted beets with dressing, goat cheese and pine nuts. Serve. Bliss Out.
Peter G - January 17, 2008 at 11:52 am
Mmmm…now that is how to prepare beets. i love them this way too Jenn. And I agree, roasting themis the best way. Good to see you’re using that Greek olive oil. Ciao!
Peter - January 17, 2008 at 1:10 pm
I love beets and yes, roasted is the way to go but jarring them in the fall is a great way to enjoy them all winter long too!
Also, damn beets always discolour the feta.
Heather - January 17, 2008 at 1:53 pm
Beets are my favorite too! I love them with bleu cheese and a simple balsamic vinaigrette, the greens with a little bacon and orange zest, or even just canned beets with vinegar! Yummeh. Definitey roasted – I don’t even peel them.
Judy - January 17, 2008 at 2:36 pm
I love beets but no one else in the house does. I am still going to try this over the weekend after my Saturday trip to our Farmers Market!
katy - January 17, 2008 at 3:26 pm
i love beets too and almost always get them in my salads at lunch… but by the time i get around to eating the salad, all the lettuce is pink! so i definitely appreciate the glove tip!
Ivy - January 17, 2008 at 4:27 pm
I love beets in salads. When fresh and tender the leaves make a wonderful salad after boiling them.
Ben - January 17, 2008 at 4:44 pm
Yummy. I like beets, although I don’t eat them very often. There is a Christmas recipe made with beets that I was meaning to make, but unfortunately couldn’t. I might still make it if I can find all the ingredients.
I need to start eating more healthily :/
Lisa - January 17, 2008 at 5:14 pm
Beautiful! I too love beets and eat them often. I love goats cheese too and have paired it with beets in the past. They really do go well together. Lovely picture!
Bellini Valli - January 17, 2008 at 5:46 pm
Can’t wait for the fresh beets Jenn….although the beets this time of year are not bad if baked for their sweetness.
Kat - January 17, 2008 at 7:58 pm
I’m so jealous that you can get fresh beets 🙂 I’ll just drool over your beet salad photo…
Jen in MI - January 17, 2008 at 7:58 pm
Am I going to be perpetually jealous until spring?! First off, your recipe looks absolutely fabulous. But secondly, my husband was hinting the other night that red flannel turkey hash would sure be nice, and I said,”But it’s not beet season!” Oh, well, apparently it is in FL. Enjoy!
Kevin - January 17, 2008 at 9:37 pm
Roasted beet salad is great! I made/ate one for the first time not too long ago. The goats cheese goes really well with the roasted beets.
courtney - January 18, 2008 at 12:32 am
Yum, your just havin a good old time at the Farmers Markets. I long for spring /summer and the reappearance of them in Chicago. I love beets and goat cheese.
Laurie Constantino - January 18, 2008 at 3:34 am
Beets, beets, beautiful beets. I just roasted some today and am can’t decide what to do with them tomorrow. These look great. I’m so glad you’re taking advantage of your farmer’s market, you lucky dog!
Cynthia - January 18, 2008 at 10:17 am
Jenn, honey, I have missed so many of your posts! My apologies, I’ve been busy preparing for work which starts next week and trying to get out of the holiday mode 🙂
Happy Cook - January 18, 2008 at 10:46 am
I love beet too. But now a days i just buy them from the shops the pickled slices.
Back at home my used to make a curry with beet and then when we ate it with rice , the rice was so colourful that we kids loved to have it 🙂
The Leftover Queen - January 18, 2008 at 12:21 pm
Hi Guys! Thanks everyone for all your comments. I am thrilled that there are so many beet lovers out there! Go beets! 🙂
Hope everyone has a great weekend!
Peter, yes, I think roasting them is so good! Of course I am using that good Greek olive oil! You know me, I am a wanna be! 😉
Hi Peter, yes, I want to learn how to can and all that good stuff. I swear I am going to get around to that soon! Yeah, beets are a great natural dye!
Yum, Heather that sounds great – especially the orange zest part. Perfect. I will try that next time. It is true, some of the smaller beets I did not have to peel.
Hi Judy! They don’t know what they are missing! You enjoy them!
Katy, no problem, glad to help! 🙂
I know Ivy, I am a huge fan of beet greens. I have to tell everyone I know how great they are because a lot of people throw them away!
Ben it is so easy to eat healthy when the food is so good! Yes, you shouldmake your beet recipe! I would love to see it!
Oh,I know Lisa, the beet/ goat cheese combo is just so heavenly!
Yes, Valli! Roast away!
Thanks Kat! What a compliment!
Hi Jen,I am sorry! 🙁
What is red flannel turkey hash?? Sounds great if it has to do with beets!
Hi Kevin! Yeah, they are so good and go very well together.
Hi Courtney! I sure am, girl!
Hi Laurie, yes I am comitted to taking as much advantage as possible! It is all for a good cause, right?!
Hey Cynthia! Welcome back! Don’t worry about it. Believe me, I knw how hard it is to keep up with work and blogging! But I think you should stay in holiday mode all year long! 🙂
Hi Happy Cook! Yeah, I love the pickled beet slices too. So good on salad with honey mustard dressing. Curried beets sound WONDERFUL! Do tell us how to make it!
Neil - January 18, 2008 at 6:29 pm
Your beet salad looks great! The first times that I made a beet salad with goat cheese, I mixed the soft cheese too much with the beets and ended up with a flourescent pink salad. Now I always add the goat cheese after I dress the salad. I wish I had a photo of the pink salad to show you.
Karen - January 18, 2008 at 7:49 pm
Now that is one thing this cajun chef has not tried! I love beets too, but I have never roasted them. I have got to try it because your post made me crave them:) I’ll bet my girls would like them roasted. Can’t wait to try. Thanks
jordan - January 19, 2008 at 1:48 am
this was such an easy meal to make! my kids loved this and i was taken by surprise because they hardly eat their veggies…..thank you so much!!! they downed this stir fry! we get our veggies from Celebrity Foods so this went perfect with what we had.
katie - January 19, 2008 at 5:48 am
Strangely, the beets here are all cooked. There’s normally a big bowl of cooked, whole beets and a long fork sitting in the midst of the other veg. So, no greens. This is maybe something else I should add to my garden. At this rate I’ll have a garden the size of Texas….
Greg - January 19, 2008 at 5:36 pm
Just exactly the way I like beets.
Cakespy - January 19, 2008 at 5:56 pm
I love, love, love beets–so thank you for this! This really does look like heaven.
Marie - January 19, 2008 at 11:49 pm
Jenn, Your photo makes me want to jump in and eat them! It looks soooo good, all that color!! Wow, how healthy is that!!
Emiline - January 20, 2008 at 3:53 am
You’ve inspired me! I’m so making this, this week. I love how you used the beet greens with the greens in the salad. I’m thinking arugula.
I also love the combo of beets and goat cheese. It’s so….French (even though you’re Italian).
núria - January 20, 2008 at 12:12 pm
Wow, it seems I’m loosing something here… I’m not a fan of beets, ups! I even didn’t know one could roast them, but I must say that the salad looks Fantastic, Jenn!!!
adamswine - January 20, 2008 at 1:38 pm
Nice recipe….
|Thanks,
The Leftover Queen - January 21, 2008 at 10:22 am
Hi Neil! Trust me, I don’t need the photo as I have made pink salads before too! I always make a Roasted Roots dish every autumn to welcome in the new season. The first time I did it, I roasted the beets with the rest of the veggies – it was very pink…Now I roast them on their own little cooke sheet!
Karen! I hope you try it! Let me know how it goes for you. I hope your girls like it too!
Hi Jordan! I am glad you like the recipe! So you stirfried your beets? Sounds interesting!
Hmmm, Katie, no raw beets in France? Well I guess you DO need to add these to your garden! Trust me, it is worth it! 🙂
I agree, Greg.
It is heaven, Cakespy!
Thanks Marie! I love color in food – and interesting combinations. That is my favorite way to make and eat food!
Oh Yay, Emiline! I am so glad to have inspired you! Arugala would be great with this. Spicy arugala, sweet beets – oh yeah! Ah well, I wouldn’t mind be French for a day – or even a year!
Hi Nuria! Not beets? I can’t believe it! Try them roasted, I bet that will change your mind!
Thanks Adamswine!
Lilian - January 21, 2008 at 2:41 pm
Jenn, thank you for writing about beets and chard–two really underrated vegetables–and for pointing out that the stems and leaves of the beets are also perfectly edible. (I’ve always thought it a bit strange that so many cookbooks instruct people to discard these parts–what a waste!) I put only the beet stems and leaves in a vegetarian lasagna, along with red Russian kale and shiitake mushrooms, a few days ago, but a friend of mine uses the beetroot too in her vegan version. Both are delicious.
holler - January 21, 2008 at 5:33 pm
Wow, this is a brilliant salad, such gorgeous flavours, it makes me feel all summery! This would be great for lunch tomorrow, unfortunately, I only have the pickled variety of beetroot in my fridge at the moment. I must shop! Thanks for the idea!
Judy - January 21, 2008 at 9:27 pm
I loved this recipe!!! So fresh tasting. I didn’t do the green or a salad as the greens were kinds beat up from last weeks frost but on there own they were amazing! Thanks for the inspiration to try and go local and seasonal. I am reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle (A Year of Food Life). Have you read it?
Maryann - January 22, 2008 at 1:55 pm
This salad looks wonderful. I love beets also 🙂
Pixie - January 22, 2008 at 2:13 pm
We’re becoming addicted to beetroot; It’s a newly discovered loved veg for my other half. Great looking salad!
Misslionheart♥ - January 22, 2008 at 6:24 pm
I cooked beetroot for thr first time a few weeks ago, in fact, it was so good, I made it again for guests the following week!
Have a look…..
http://misslionheart-aplaiceforeverything.blogspot.com/2007/11/beetroot-posh-way.html
The Leftover Queen - January 22, 2008 at 6:52 pm
Hi Lilian, I do believe in waste not want not.
Hi Holler! I think it would be delicious with the pickled kind too – just different.
I am so glad you tried the recipe Judy! That is just great! I am sure your modifications were wonderful!
Thanks Maryann!
It is a great veg indeed, Pixie.
Thanks MissLionHeart! Looks like another great beet recipe!
Cakelaw - January 23, 2008 at 7:53 am
It’s great to see all of these beet lovers – and I am one too! Love this salad.