Beet Feta Salad

 

Recovering from the trip and waiting out the minimal income of the pre-catering season, I’ve been trying to not go to the store unless absolutely necessary (coffee, cream…).   This means scrounging through cupboards, ransacking the refrigerator and rummaging through the freezer to use up whatever inventory can be found.

Fortunately I still have a bag of (slightly wrinkly) beets from last fall’s farmer’s market spree, and a block of feta cheese…I wonder how well it will pair with my expired can of gluten free dumplings…

 

For many many years people have heard me proclaim, “Beets are back, baby!”   It’s been a long time coming but over the last decade the world has finally remembered that beets are cool.

 

Amazing benefits of beets 

Some of the many nutrients beets contain are iron, magnesium, calcium and phosphorus, vitamins A, B, C, niacin and folic acid.  Betacyanin is the phytochemical that gives beets their brilliant red color, which is also what significantly reduces homocysteine levels. Beets have been shown to help cleanse the blood, cleanse the colon and strengthen the gall bladder and liver.

Here is a site with more details on the healthy side effects, and another with a juicing recipe.

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If you boil beets it’s easy to scrape off the the skin after they are cooked—it’s much faster than peeling them when raw.  Roasting them will bring out deeper sweetness and rich flavor, but they will be tasty any way you cook them.

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These ruby gems go well with feta and goat chevre cheese, their earthy sweetness holds up well to salty and strong flavors.  They also go well with mint and cilantro, and hold up well to marinades and pickling.

Love your beets today!

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Beet Feta Salad

Cook Time:  45 minutes to cook the beets   Prep Time: 15 minutes, then 1 hour to marinate

 

In a covered soup pot, boil until cooked:

1 1/2 pound beets

Water to cover

When beets are soft but not mushy, pour off the water and fill the pot with cold water.

Use your hands to peel the beets, the skin should slip off easily. 

When the beets have cooled, slice them into whatever shape you like.

 

In a large mixing bowl add:

The Beets, sliced

1/4 cup Red Onion, thinly sliced, lengthwise

1/3 – 1/2 cup Feta Cheese, crumbled

1/4 cup Walnuts, chopped

2 Tablespoons Canola or Olive Oil

2 Tablespoons Champagne Vinegar or White Wine Vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoon Mint, dried, or 2 Tablespoons Fresh Mint, chopped

1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground Black Pepper

Toss together and let marinate for at least 1 hour to let the flavors meld. 

Taste and adjust. 

Eat at room temperature. 

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This silk is a piece made by my friend and artist Patsy Martinson, I could stare at this for hours!  I see a butterfly with the head of a moose.

 

 



3 thoughts on “Beet Feta Salad”

  • MMMMM! Thanks for sharing your recipe Ruthie! It’s one of my favorites and so glad I can make it for myself now (I’ve made many many variations, but yours is SO very yummy!!).

    (I totally see a sea anemone in the silk, waving it’s little tentacle projections!)

  • OMG, Beet Feta Salad with CHAMPAGNE vinegar??? >>Gasp and swoon<<
    The salivary glands are exploding now….

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