File this one under "weird but good".
Posted on 2006.07.19 at 22:02
Beets. I like them. Always have. But nevertheless, when presented with a bunch of them (with lovely green tops, yet!), I was at first stymied.
It's too hot for borscht, and despite the fact that I have a lovely log of goat cheese in the fridge, I think that beet and goat cheese salad has been overdone. So I started searching the 'net and I came across a recipe on RecipeZaar that intrigued me--Georgian Style Beet Salad. Plus, it had the added benefit (if it turned out to be edible, at least....) of being a good entry for Gabriella's summer salad event over at My Life as a Reluctant Housewife.
What makes it Georgian? The walnuts, I suppose--they're a staple of Georgian cuisine. So I tweaked the recipe a tiny bit, but it's mostly the same as I found it, and very very good. The addition of walnuts and prunes may sound a bit odd, but trust me--they really help to make the saiad.
The slightly bitter, earthy walnuts both compliment and contrast the sweet earthiness of the beets, finely diced prunes add a lovely sweetness and depth of flavor, and creamy yogurt tempers the sharp fresh garlic.
Plus, it's a really groovy magenta......
Georgian Style Beet Salad
Serves 4-6 as a side dish
1 lb fresh beets
1 tbsp oil (I used olive, but canola or grapeseed would work just as well)
8 pitted prunes, cut in fine dice
1 small clove garlic, crushed to a paste
1/4 cup walnuts, finely ground (you're looking for walnut meal here, not walnut butter)
1/2 cup greek style yogurt (I like whole milk for this, but lowfat or nonfat will do)
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Cut the stem and root ends off the beets, and cut the large beets in half. You can leave the skins on the beets for now. Place the beets in a pile on a large sheet of foil and toss them with the oil.
Fold the foil into a packet, sealing the edges tightly. Put the packet of beets into the oven and roast for 50 - 60 minutes, or until the beets are tender. Set the beets aside to cool.
When the beets have cooled, peel them--the skin should come off very easily--and cut them into 1/4 in dice. Put them in a large bowl wiht the remaining ingredients and stir until everything is combined. Serve chilled.
It's too hot for borscht, and despite the fact that I have a lovely log of goat cheese in the fridge, I think that beet and goat cheese salad has been overdone. So I started searching the 'net and I came across a recipe on RecipeZaar that intrigued me--Georgian Style Beet Salad. Plus, it had the added benefit (if it turned out to be edible, at least....) of being a good entry for Gabriella's summer salad event over at My Life as a Reluctant Housewife.
What makes it Georgian? The walnuts, I suppose--they're a staple of Georgian cuisine. So I tweaked the recipe a tiny bit, but it's mostly the same as I found it, and very very good. The addition of walnuts and prunes may sound a bit odd, but trust me--they really help to make the saiad.
The slightly bitter, earthy walnuts both compliment and contrast the sweet earthiness of the beets, finely diced prunes add a lovely sweetness and depth of flavor, and creamy yogurt tempers the sharp fresh garlic.
Plus, it's a really groovy magenta......
Georgian Style Beet Salad
Serves 4-6 as a side dish
1 lb fresh beets
1 tbsp oil (I used olive, but canola or grapeseed would work just as well)
8 pitted prunes, cut in fine dice
1 small clove garlic, crushed to a paste
1/4 cup walnuts, finely ground (you're looking for walnut meal here, not walnut butter)
1/2 cup greek style yogurt (I like whole milk for this, but lowfat or nonfat will do)
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Cut the stem and root ends off the beets, and cut the large beets in half. You can leave the skins on the beets for now. Place the beets in a pile on a large sheet of foil and toss them with the oil.
Fold the foil into a packet, sealing the edges tightly. Put the packet of beets into the oven and roast for 50 - 60 minutes, or until the beets are tender. Set the beets aside to cool.
When the beets have cooled, peel them--the skin should come off very easily--and cut them into 1/4 in dice. Put them in a large bowl wiht the remaining ingredients and stir until everything is combined. Serve chilled.
