January 10, 2009 | Salads
Sorry that I’ve been away from the blog for a few days – my sister in law from St. Louis flew into Denver on Tuesday to help drive our mother in law to LA where she’s moved to live. We had quite an adventurous ride, beginning with a 3-hour delay on Wednesday morning with Vail Pass closed, a quick stop at the Bellagio in Vegas for the night on the way (very little gambling but lots of laughs and a great view of the strip), and about 20 hours of driving through mostly barren countryside, but we made it!
Mixed Greens with Roasted Beets and GarlicServes 42 beets, red, orange or yellow (or mixed)
8-12 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
6-8 cups mixed salad greens
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
4 ounces crumbled goat cheese
1 small minced shallot
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon
1/3 cup sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cracked black pepperPreheat oven to 400°. Peel beets and cut into 8 wedges or thick slices. Toss beets and garlic with olive oil and spread on a aluminum foil lined baking sheet. Roast in the oven until browned and tender, about 45 minutes, being careful not to burn the garlic (remove garlic earlier as it begins to brown). Remove from oven and cover with aluminum foil; set aside.
Sauté shallots in 1 tablespoon olive oil until translucent. Transfer to a blender and add remaining ingredients for the dressing; puree. In a large bowl, toss the salad greens with some dressing (you’ll have more than you need). To serve, mound some dressed greens on a salad plate; add some roasted beets and garlic and top with some toasted pine nuts and goat cheese. Offer cracked pepper table side.
Note: If you hate goat cheese like my husband, try used shaved Parmigiano Reggiano – just make sure to get a high quality piece of cheese.
