Roasted beets salad with radicchio, goat cheese, oregano and candies nuts

Beets are in right now and I am taking full advantage of their freshness and abundance. I prepared a few jars of pickled beets, sweet and tangy and delicious, and have been roasting beets to serve as a vegetable or in a salad. I particularly like the elongated variety of beets and if I see them at the market they usually come home with me.

Beets seem to have a bad rap and many people avoid cooking with them because they think they are difficult to work with. Quite the contrary, beets are easy to cook with and are certainly worth a try. My preferred method of cooking beets is to roast them. Nothing could be simpler. Don’t trim them, just wash, place in a packet of foil with a little water inside for moisture and roast until tender. The fresher they are the faster they will cook. Once cooked let them cool until you can handle them and then cut off the flower end and slip the skin off like a neglige on a honeymoon night. A word of caution: try to wear thin kitchen gloves when you work with the beets as they tend to stain your skin.

Once cooked you can serve them the same day or keep in the fridge for a couple of days until you decide what to do with them. They will keep fine.

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I made this salad with cooked beets I had in the fridge and added shredded radicchio, goat cheese and chopped candid hazelnuts. I tossed it all with a sweet and tangy vinaigrette and topped with micro greens from the market. It was a lovely salad with compatible flavours and textures that became a part of a simple dinner and that I will probably make again soon.

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Ingredients:

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1 lb beets, elongated if you have them

1/2 small radicchio, cut into ribbons

1 cup crumbled goat cheese

1/3 cup candied hazelnuts (or another nut), roughly chopped

A few leaves of fresh oregano

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Dressing:

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2 tablespoons mayonnaise or yogurt

2 tablespoons maple syrup

2 tablespoon cider vinegar

4 tablespoons olive oil

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Directions:

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Wash the beets but do not trim them.

Place beet in a foil packet, add a little water and seal the packet.

Place the beet packet on a foil lined baking sheet and roast in 400℉ until done. Insert a knife into the beet to see if they are cooked through.

Remove the beets from the oven and let cool until you can handle them. Don’t let them cool completely, it’s best to peel them while still warm.

Cut off the flower end of the beets and slip the skin off.

Cut the beets in to slices, any size you’d like and place in a boel.

Combine all dressing ingredients and whisk to emulsify.

Pour the dressing over the beets.

Add the ribboned radicchio and toss to combine.

Spoon the beets onto a salad plate, add the nuts and cheese and top with the micro greens.

Serve at room temperature.

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