Summer Golden Beet Salad w/ Balsamic Drizzle Dressing

a mid-summer's night salad...

It's summer solstice or mid-summer or the longest day of the year as many say. A day where the sun is up its longest, making it the perfect time to celebrate the beginning of the summer season. Although it's not actually any longer than any other day of the year, we have more light (5 seconds more to be exact). So, have a picnic, grill out, or just have dinner for the family outside. Whatever you decide to do, try to at least stay up until the sun sets for our "longest day" of the year.

I've made this summer salad to kick off the season. It's fruity and earthy and quite beautiful. The colors make me think of the golden sun setting over an empty field. The reds, yellows, greens, and purples. I'm specifically focusing on balsamic vinegar for this series and its deep flavors and purple color. Make this salad to celebrate our "longest day". Here's how...

Ingredients - Serves 4
Summer Salad
3 Medium Golden Beets (~ 1 1/2 lbs.)
1 T Olive Oil, divided
3 C Arugula
1/2 Small Red Onion, thinly sliced
1/4 C Dried Cranberries
1/4 C Pistachios, shelled & roughly chopped
4 oz. Plain Goat Cheese, crumbled

Balsamic Drizzle Dressing
1/3 C Balsamic Vinegar
2 tsp. Dijon Mustard
2 tsp. Honey
Salt & Pepper

Directions
Begin by roasting the beets: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut the top (leafy parts) and bottom off each of the beets. Note: you can save the leafy parts to cook or discard if they don't look good. Scrub the beets and pat them dry.

Lay out a large piece of heavy duty foil (or double up with regular foil). Place the beets on top and drizzle with 1/2 T olive oil. Rub to coat the beets well with the oil, then wrap them tightly in the foil. Put them in the oven and cook for 45-50 minutes or until cooked through.

Remove the beets from the oven, unwrap, and allow to partially cool, about 10 minutes. Using a paper towel, carefully (beets will still be a little hot), rub the skin from the outside of the beets, discard. Once all the skin has been removed, cut the beets into wedges. Set aside.

Prepare the onion for the salad: Put the onion slices into a small bowl and cover with cold water. Soaking the onion in cold water will take away a little of the harsh bite raw onions can have. Set aside.

Make the drizzle: In a small sauce pan, whisk the balsamic, mustard, and honey together. Over med-high heat, bring the mixture to a bubble. Simmer until the mixture is reduced to 1/4 C, approx. 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat to cool.

Arrange the Salad: Dress the arugula with the remaining 1/2 T olive oil and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Then, on a large platter put the dressed arugula down first and top with the other ingredients in this order: red onion (drained), beets, cranberries, pistachios, and goat cheese. Drizzle the balsamic dressing over top. Serve immediately. Sun and summer have arrived! Enjoy.

Honey-Roasted Root Vegetables

spring has sprung...

It's officially spring again! While it might not feel like it, the days are soon to get warmer, sunnier, and longer. While spring is a time for an "out with the old, in with the new" mantra, I do want to take a moment to say I have officially been posting to my blog for 1 YEAR! It is amazing how time flies...and the number of recipes I've posted - 73 (including this one)! In that same vain, I'd like to dedicate this next rainbow series to "Old Man Winter". Think of it as paying homage (or good riddance!) to the doozy of a winter we've had this year.

I found this super simple recipe online when I was looking for a way to jazz up roasted root veggies. While I enjoy veggies roasted with just a little olive oil, salt, and pepper the addition of honey is brilliant. The honey compliments and brings out the natural sweetness of veggies like carrots, red onion, and sweet potato while balancing others like the spicy turnips, parsnips, and fennel. Honey also helps the veggies caramelize as they cook giving you the perfect char. When you need an easy and colorful side, make this dish. Here's how...

Ingredients - Serves 8
1 Large Sweet Potato
2 Turnips
2-3 Parsnips
2 Carrots
1 Red Onion
1 Bulb of Fennel
1/4 C Honey
2-3 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 tsp. Salt
Cooking Spray

Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Prepare a large rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside.

Peel and wash the sweet potato, turnips, parsnips, and carrots. Cut these veggies into approx. 1 inch pieces. Put into a large bowl. Cut the onion into 8 wedges and add to the bowl. Finally, cut the top off the fennel, remove the outer leaves, and cut out the core. Cut into approx. 1 inch pieces and add to the bowl. Pour in the honey and olive oil and add the salt. Toss to coat all of the veggies well.

On the prepared baking sheet, spread the veggies out into a single layer. Cook for 25-30 minutes, stirring halfway through. The veggies should be tender and browned. Serve these immediately! Enjoy!