Autumn Salad with Roasted Beets and Blue Cheese

Lately I’ve been obsessed with beets! I know, 90% of you will turn up your noses, but I seriously can’t get enough.

I didn’t grow up eating beets, but since we’ve been getting some from the CSA (and I grew some on accident) it was time to try a few recipes. I consulted my favorite vegetable lover, my Aunt Barbara, who pointed me in the right direction.

This salad is my current obsession. I’m not going to tell you how many times this week I’ve eaten this. Cause that would make me look crazy!!!

Roasting beets gives them a sweet earthy flavor. Justin says “they taste like dirt”, but he has yet to try this. So to that I say, “foo-eey!”

Begin by cutting off all but about 1 inch of stem. I like to do 3-4 at a time, so there is enough for a few salads. Then wrap your beets in aluminum foil. Bake them in the oven on 350 for 1-2 hours, until they are soft enough to be pierced with a fork.

Let them cool, then remove skins. Its easier if you cut off the stem, then the rest of the skin just falls off (you might want to wear gloves!)

Next dice them up, and place in a bowl with a tight-fitting lid- like Tupperware.

Pour over beets about 1/4 cup of vinegar, more if you prefer. I’ve tried different vinegars, but my favorite is to use seasoned rice-wine vinegar. Its a little sweeter, and has less bite.
Refrigerate your beets until ready to use.

For this salad I begin with a mix of baby greens and arugula. Top greens with a few spoonfuls of beets, 1/4 c. chopped walnuts, and 2-4 oz. blue cheese crumbles. You can either just drizzle it all with a little S&P and olive oil (since the beets already have vinegar on them) or add a very basic olive oil vinaigrette.

Its tangy, sweet, crunchy, creamy and spicy all at the same time. Love, love love love it!

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