Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Trim the beet tops to about one inch, and leave on the root end. Rinse beets, then coat lightly with oil. Wrap beets in aluminum foil, place on a baking sheet, and roast in the oven until cooked through, approximately 45 to 60 minutes. This will be a shorter time if the beets are very small. Remove from the oven, let cool for 10-15 minutes, then peel and cut into chunks or slices.
This beet salad was dressed with sherry vinaigrette, rosemary goat cheese and toasted walnuts.Here's the vinaigrette recipe:
2 Tbs. sherry vinegar (or combine a little sherry with a white wine vinegar)
4 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 tsp. dijon mustard
pinch of sugar
salt and pepper to taste
If you can't find rosemary goat cheese, use plain goat cheese and add a little dried rosemary to the dressing. Toasting walnuts is done in a skillet or an oven. Just do it on a low temperature and keep an eye on them as they burn easily.
This beet salad had mandarin oranges and green onion added in, and is dressed with curried honey dressing. The recipe for this vinaigrette comes from The Joy of Gardening Cookbook.Honey Curry Dressing
2/3 C olive oil
3 Tbs. lemon juice
2 Tbs. white wine vinegar
1/4 C honey
1 tsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
Combine well with a whisk or in a shaker jar. Makes 1 1/2 C
You will probably not need all of this dressing for your beet salad. Just dress it to your taste and save the remaining dressing for a tossed salad. Fresh orange slices in place of the mandarin oranges would be very good as well.
