Beet the Summer Heat
August 7, 2008

Fresh beets are super sweet this summer. Pulled from the moist earth, rinsed, roasted, and ready to please, they are excellent in cold salads. To cut down on kitchen heat, roast a large amount at once, adding them to various dishes all week long; puree any leftovers into chilled borscht. Beets are loaded with folic acid and manganese and their deep berry color boasts a veggie loaded with antioxidants. Beets are reputed to be good for the memory, too–so don’t forget to serve up this unbeatable salad.

Summer Beet Salad
• 5 pounds fresh beets, roasted, cleaned and cut into a large dice
• 2 cups fresh carrots, tiny matchstick cut
• 1 cup freshly pitted cherries, cut in halves
• one half cup pistachio nuts, lightly toasted and crushed
• 3 ounces blue cheese or goat cheese, crumbled
• 1-cup fresh mint leaves, lightly shredded

Ginger Balsamic Syrup
• 4 -5 cups of inexpensive balsamic vinegar
• 1-teaspoon mixture of powdered clove and cinnamon
• one half-cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger
• 1 pinch of red pepper flakes

In a large sauté pan combine the vinegar, spices and sugar. Simmer, on medium heat, until the mixture becomes syrup-like and coats the back of a spoon, about 20-25 minutes. Stir in ginger and red pepper flakes; let syrup cool. Adjust for seasoning with kosher salt. In a prep bowl combine the beets, carrot and cherries and pour syrup over, coating well. Sprinkle with kosher salt. Can be prepared 1 day ahead at this point.

To serve, place a light bed of clean, shredded baby beet greens or mixed greens in a shallow, wide serving bowl. Pour in beet mixture tossing in the fresh mint. Add a final light sprinkle of kosher salt. Top with crumbled cheese and pistachios.

Tips for roasting beets:
Beets come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes so cut them into uniform chunks for even roasting. Beet chunks the size of a lime make for a quick roast. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Rinse beets well, and place on a foil lined rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil lightly over the beets and sprinkle generously with kosher salt. Roast for 40-60 minutes checking the center of the beets with a cake tester. The tester should go in easily but the center should resist a bit, too, yielding a firm but cooked beet. Cool. The skins will peel off under a light water rinse.

Kim Dannies is a graduate of La Varenne Cooking School in France. She lives in Williston, VT with her husband, Jeff, and three college–aged daughters who come and go. ©2008