Salads sound good, especially good when you want to close the blinds and block out the tail end of winter. Think warm, sunny days on the deck…at the lake…having a lazy Sunday….on and on! This will serve 6 guests.
- 6 small beets (3 yelllow and 3 red would be awesome)
- 2 large blood oranges
- Baby mixed spring greens
Dressing
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 medium, minced shalot
- 2 pinches of salt
- 2 pinches of pepper
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- few thyme leaves
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Wrap the beets individually in tin foil and bake about 1- 1 1/2 hours until fork tender. Remove beets from oven, unwrap and cool a few minutes before handling. Wearing gloves, peel and slice the beets into eighths. Set aside.
Peel the oranges and remove as much of the pith (white) as you can. Now with a grapefruit knife, remove each segment from their skin.
Place the segments in a bowl. If there is anything left in the skins, squeeze whatever juice you can and sprinkle over the segments in the bowl.
Make the dressing and whisk it all together until well blended.
Now on salad plates, place some of the greens in the centre of each plate. Place some of the beets pieces on each plate (if using yellow and red beets, mix them up), sprinkle the orange segments around the plate and drizzle the dressing over it all.
Warm rolls, glass of crisp, chilled wine…voila! Pure enjoyment in a meal.
Watermelon, Cheese Salad With A Balsamic Fig Flavoured Glaze
My daughter gave us, as part of our extravagant Christmas basket of goodies, the Balsamic vinegar flavoured with figs. The brand name is “Scarpone’s”. If you can find it, buy it…no, that’s wrong…buy lots. It is terrific and very surprising in taste.
For the simple salad serving 8, you will need:
- 1 small pkg of mixed spring greens
- 8 cups of seedless watermelon (red or yellow) cut into 3/4 inch cubes
- 7 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
- 2 tbsp. of this beautiful balsamic fig glaze.
If you are serving this ‘family style’, get out your prettiest platter, spread out the washed and spun dried mixed greens.
Scatter the watermelon over the top, and sprinkle the feta cheese over this.
Now, drizzle the beautiful balsamic fig glaze over all. Serve with warm rolls, fresh butter, glass of wine and forget the world…at least until the next course to be served.
Note: amounts to be adjusted accordingly, of course as needed.