Monday, July 9, 2012

tomato and beet salad



This lovely little composed salad was part of our Sunday evening supper. It is a revelation in it's simplicity: a bite of earthy dark beet with the sweetness of tomato, tangy salinity of feta, and lemony brightness of tender cilantro. Besides the roasting of the beets, everything else comes together quite easily, which on these hot summer days blending into hot summer nights, is about all I can muster.

The beets pictured here came from our weekly farmers box but in the refrigerated section of Trader Joes, they sell a little vacuum sealed packet of pre-roasted beets that I think are quite nice. Please do not let a little beet roasting get in the way of making this salad.

The recipe is from the July/August issue of Everyday Food Magazine (and a very good issue it is too.)

1 pound small beets
2 pounds tomatoes
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup crumbled feta
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

1) Preheat oven to 400. Seal 1 pound of scrubbed small beets in a foil packet. Roast on a rimmed baking sheet until tender, 75 minutes. When cool, rub beets with a paper towel to remove skins.

2) Slice 2 pounds tomatoes, preferably heirloom, and halve 1 pint cherry tomatoes, then arrange with beets on a platter.

3) Top with 1/4 cup each crumbled feta, fresh cilantro leaves, and extra-virgin olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.





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