ROASTED BEET SALAD

This is a recipe cobbled together from Martha Stewarts’ "What to Have for Dinner" and from my bible of sorts, "Vegetables Every Day" by Jack Bishop. I have served it to many who “didn’t like beets” and they loved it. Healthy AND yummy.

1 lb. beets (small are nice)
½ teaspoon good grainy mustard
2 Tablespoons sherry vinegar (this is essential if pricey – Whole Foods has it)
pinch of sugar
6 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
1 large bunch arugula or the beet greens (if they’re nice) or swiss chard
feta or goat cheese, crumbled
toasted walnuts or pecans


Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Scrub the beets, remove root end if it is long and cut off greens leaving a 2 inch “handle”. Reserve greens (see HOW TO COOK GREENS if you want to use them for the salad.) Place 2 -3 beets in an aluminum foil pouch, sealed tightly. Create as many pouches as necessary to cook all the beets, trying to keep like sized beets together. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 45 – 60 minutes, until a tester proves the beets to be tender (you can poke right through the foil.)

Remove from oven and open pouches to let cool. When they are cool enough to handle, keeping them in the pouch to contain the juicy mess, use paper towels to scrape the skins off of the beets, holding onto you’re the greens handle. Slice into bite size rounds or half moons and set aside.

For vinaigrette, whisk together mustard, vinegar and sugar in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in the oil and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Toss the beets in the viniagrette, serve on a bed of arugula or cooked greens (see HOW TO COOK GREENS!) with crumbled cheese and toasted nuts sprinkled on top.