ROASTED BEET SALAD

So the other night with my banoffee pie for dessert, one of my side dishes was a roasted beet salad! This past weekend we went out for dinner to Scaramouche and one of the starter's was a roasted beet salad with goat cheese, so from this delicious appetizer, I was inspired! This salad is so simple and a great alternative to a classic green salad. Beets have a really sweet natural flavour to them, making it a tasty treat for those kids who don't like leafy greens! The basis of the dressing, red wine vinegar, dijon and tarragon are a natural combination, and a perfect light dressing for the beets.

Roasted Beet Salad with Tarragon

Ingredients:
- Large red beets (depends on how many people you are having, at least 1 medium size beet per person)
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- salt and pepper
- olive oil
- 3 sprigs of tarragon

Directions:
- Wash beets. Set oven to 400degrees F
- Place on a layer on aluminum foil and mix olive oil salt and pepper around with the beets to cover them. Then take foil and mold it into a tent shape (in order to both steam and bake the beets at the same time)
- Place beets in oven for 45minutes to an hour, or until for tender.
- Remove from oven and peel (you may want to wear gloves when doing this as beets do stain a bit!)
- Slice into rounds.
- Whisk dijon, red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt & pepper together until emuslified. Mix in the tarragon leaves (you may chop them if you wish but I like the look at the leaf in tact)
- Toss beets in the vinaigrette and let rest until serving.
- This salad may be served warm or cold. ENJOY!

photo credit: my sister, nora b.

BEETS

Beets, another seasonal veggie that I adore. Their deep red/purple hue is a great colour and gives life to any dish! For those of you not eating beets, you are missing out! They are fresh and served hot or cold a delicious appetizer, side dish or accompaniment to any principal meal. Beets are available all year round but their peak season is from June - October. Beets can be boiled, roasted, pureed... the works!

 copyright The NewYork Times

Cooking beets in their skin helps in maintaining their nutrients, beets are extremely healthy!
Here are some tips:
- Boil, bake or steam without peeling first this way the skin will easily rub off under cold running water after they are cooked
- To avoid staining your fingers, it is good to wear rubber gloves
- No salt is necessary in cooking water
- Grated raw beets is delicious in salad

To roast beets:
- Toss beets in a baking dish with olive oil salt and pepper
- Cover and roast at 425 degrees F until tender, about 40 minutes
- Let cool and rub off skins'

Enjoy cooking with beets!

photo credit: google images & the new york times