Roasted Beet Salad

Early last week I received an email from my old boss asking me when we were going to open our restaurant. Apparently he had just discovered my blog and I guess he liked it :) He immediately sent me his recipe for roasted beets and I was intrigued. I had never cooked with beets before. Beets are one of those vegetables that I had managed to avoid. Not because I thought I wouldn't like them, but I just didn't know a lot about how to prepare them. I had always equated beets with those kind of nasty looking things in a can that sort of resemble that cranberry sludge that people serve at Thanksgiving. However, armed with this recipe I ventured out in the hot, hot heat last Sunday to get beets at the farmers market. Luckily the weather has cooled down by 30 degrees over the last couple of days so I was able to turn on my oven the other night to make this. The possibilities are endless when it comes with what to pair the beets with. Gregg's suggestions included lentils, feta, blue cheese, walnuts, chopped endive, etc. I decided to go with some feta and a few roasted pistachios. I have probably mentioned this a million times, but I am obsessed with this mild feta I get from the farmers market. It was a great pairing with the sweet beets and salty pistachios.


Roasted Beet Salad
(Courtesy of Gregg aka one of the most talented agent/chefs in Los Angeles*)

2 bunches beets (I used a mix of red and golden), washed with the tops cut off
Canola oil
Kosher salt
Crumbled feta cheese
Roasted pistachios

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Drizzle the beets with canola oil and double wrap with foil.

Roast 75 minutes for medium beets...maybe longer for larger beets. When done open carefully, being careful of steam. If a knife goes through smoothly, the beets are done.

When the beets have cooled, peel off skin, slice, put in bowl with more drizzled canola oil and kosher salt.

*His words not mine