Foodie Friday - Roasted Beet Salad

As I had mentioned this was the first year I actually had beets grow in the Potager. Usually they fail to thrive, but I switched from Detroit Red to Early Wonder this year, and they have done well. I even got a stray white one in the bunch. I harvested 6 beets to make Giada DeLaurentis' Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese Argula Salad. I also harvest all the arugula I had that was mature. The recipe called for 6 cups, I had about 4, but that was enough. I harvested a shallot to use in the recipe also. Three items from the Potager! Yum!

The beets were drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and roasted in a 375 degree oven until cooked.

I let them cool a bit while I prepared the dressing, a mix of balsamic vinegar, honey, shallots, oil, and salt and pepper. I then slipped the skins off the beets. It looks messy, but they come off easily after roasting. The beets were then quartered, tossed with a bit of the dressing and returned to a 400 degree oven for another 12 minutes.

As the beets roasted and caramelized in the oven, I mixed the dressing with the arugula, pecans, and craisins. My daughter peeled and diced an avocado.

The dressed arugula was piled on a salad plate, topped with avocado and goat cheese and the beets.
Everyone  raved over the salad. A definite winner!