Author Notes
Inspired by a painting with some captivating reds, I conceived this salad. The first versions used walnuts and goat cheese with raspberries and were really nice, but I wanted another layer. The final version evolved with a crowning finish of an aged balsamic vinegar reduced with raspberries. I decided that pecans and blue cheese worked better. So the photos show the states along the way. —Sagegreen
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Ingredients
- First dressing
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1/4 cup
white vinegar
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2 teaspoons
linden honey
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1 tablespoon
lemon juice, Meyer preferred
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2 teaspoons
dijon mustard
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1/4 teaspoon
milled mixed peppercorns
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1 teaspoon
sea salt
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1/2-1 head of roasted garlic head
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1/2 cup
EVOO, cold first pressed
- Salad with red finish
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6
smallish beets
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2 tablespoons
olive oil
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4 ounces
baby arugula
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small red onion, half moon paper thin slices
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1
avocado, diced
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lemon wedge
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2 ounces
shelled pecans
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5 ounces
aged balsamic vinegar
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6 ounces
raspberries, divided
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2 ounces
Maytag blue cheese
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pinch of pink Himalayan salt
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pinch of fresh milled mixed peppercorns
Directions
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Ahead of time in a shallow roasting pan, add 2 tbl. of olive oil. Preheat oven to 350. Roll the unpeeled beets and garlic head around in the oil in the pan. Cover and roast for about 45 minutes, or until a knife can be inserted easily into the largest beet. Let cool. Skin the beets then.
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Squish out the contents from the roasted garlic head. Add to a jar. Then combine with the other ingredients from the first dressing. Shake well to create an emulsion. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed for sweetness, saltiness, and acidity.
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Close to serving time combine the arugula, diced beets, onion half rings, diced avocado and about 2 oz. of the fresh raspberries in a large bowl. Adding a tablespoon at a time, lightly dress the salad with the vinaigrette until the arugula leaves are just coated. Do not drown. You may have dressing left over. Add a squeeze of fresh lemon.
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Heat a pan and toast the pecans. Set aside. In the same pan add 4 oz of raspberries with the balsamic vinegar on moderately high heat. Reduce by about 1/3.
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Add the toasted pecans and crumpled blue cheese to the salad. Drizzle the warm reduced raspberry balsamic on top of the salad as the final touch with a pinch of pink Himalayan salt and fresh milled peppercorns.
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