Pecan-Beet Salad
MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS; PREP: 20 MIN.; BAKE: 1 HR., ? MIN.; COOL: 30 MIN. 6 medium-size golden beets (about 6 oz. each)
l cup pecan halves
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
1 large shallot, minced
2 Tbsp. light brown sugar
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. freshly ground pepper
½ tsp. vanilla extract
¼ cup canola oil
l (5-oz.) package gourmet mixed salad greens, thoroughly washed
l cup (4 oz.) crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
1. Preheat oven to 400°. Trim beet stems to 1 inch; gently wash beets. Wrap individually in aluminum foil, and place on a jelly-roll pan.
2. Bake at 400° for 1 hour or until tender. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool, wrapped in foil, 30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, decrease oven temperature to .'350°. Bake pecans in a single layer in a jelly-roll pan 5 to 7 minutes or until lightly toasted and fragrant. Cool completely on wire rack (about 15 minutes).
4. Whisk together vinegar and next 5 ingrethents in a small howl. Add oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly until smooth.
5. Peel beets, and remove stem ends. Cut beets into ½-inch wedges; gently toss with ¼ cup vinegar mixture.
6. Arrange greens on a serving platter. Top with beet mixture, Gorgonzola cheese, and pecans; serve with remaining vinaigrette.
- INSPIRED BY PAT PATERNOSTRO,
METAIRIE, LOUISIANA
For this delectable sated, you can roast and peel the beets up to two days ahead, and chill them in a zip-top bag. When prepping, don't peel them or trim the little tails on the bottom. Do remove the greens, but leave an inch of the stems to ensure the pigment remains inside the beets during roasting. Similar in flavor to Swiss chard, beet greens can be prepared in the same way as turnips or collards.
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