With beets and fennel amongst my CSA week nine delivery, this salad was the first thing that jumped into my mind. Here’s an ad hoc description for you to reproduce a similar experience for yourself. First, roast the beets. 350F for an hour is a good bet. Whether you peel them first, peel them after, or don’t peel them at all, I’ll leave that up to you. I’m not convinced either way of peeling is easier, and I go back and forth on whether to peel at all. Anyway, roast them early enough that you can chill them in the fridge. Use an ice bath if you are under a time crunch. Next, prepare a vinaigrette. Here’s the ingredients I used:
- Zest of one orange
- 2 oz fresh squeezed orange juice
- 1 Tbsp white balsamic vinegar,
- 2 tsp honey
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 cranks of the pepper grinder
- ½ Tbsp mayonnaise
- 2 oz sunflower oil
The mayo works as an emulsifier. I put all of this into a one pint, wide mouthed mason jar and spun it with an immersion blender.
When it’s time to serve, either chop the beets for a tartare sort of look, or slice them. Slice the fennel very thinly. If you have a mandolin, this is a time to use it. Stack about 10 mint leaves, and cut them into a fine julienne. Arrange the beets as the first layer, the fennel as the second and the mint as the third. Finish by spooning the vinaigrette over the top.
