The Curvy Carrot

Elizabeth Gilbert/Julia Roberts had a relationship with her pizza.  I have a relationship with anything having to do with caprese salads.  Call me promiscous, but if anything remotely resembles a caprese salad (meaning, it has to have some sort of cheese on top), I’ll try it out.  I don’t discriminate.  I’m a pro-caprese-equality rights kind of person.

I had the very last of my beautiful heirloom tomatoes the other night.  And my basil plant, Luigi, is dying a slow death.  He knows that it’s time to say goodbye, I think.  His leaves are withering and brown, and I had to salvage the very last few green leaves for what I knew would be the last caprese salad of “summer”.  I even used the very last of my fancy-pants olive oil/balsamic vinegar (which made me realize how much of this stuff I go through in a short time…whoah.)

So, now it’s time to switch gears and do a more “winter” version of a caprese.  Roasted beets are unbelievably tasty, I have to say.  I never was a fan…in fact, one of my guy friends used to eat beets almost every day for lunch and I may have made fun of him at some point.  *I retract my statements and apologize.*  But, seriously, beets are good, and really really good for you. And they are pretty.

This recipe takes a caprese salad to the next level.  (Again, this is another amazing recipe from Earthbound Farm.)  Ok, you’ve got some good, earthy roasted beets.  You’ve got fresh buffalo mozzarella (***sigh***).  And you’ve got this amazing combination of fresh oranges, olive oil, and a little raspberry vinegar to go along with it all.  Talk about heaven on a plate.

Could I be monogomous?  I mean, with my type of caprese salad?  Maybe.  But probably not.

Roasted Beet Salad alla Caprese

Servings: about 4

Ingredients

For the beets:

4 medium beets, scrubbed, trimmed, and dried

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

For the dressing:

2 tablespoons raspberry vinegar (or red wine vinegar)

Zest of one orange

1 tablespoon orange juice

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons honey

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

For the salad:

2 balls (4 to 6 ounces each) buffalo mozzarella

2 medium oranges

Sea salt, to taste

1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, sliced thinly

Instructions

1. To roast the beets:  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Rub the beets with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and wrap each one tightly with aluminum foil, sealing it tightly.

3. Place the beets directly on the oven rack and roast until tender, about 50-60 minutes.  Let cool until you can handle them, about 30-40 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the other ingredients.

4. Once cool enough to handle, peel or rub off the skins off each beet.  Cut the beets into 1/4-inch thick rounds.

5. For the dressing:  In a medium bowl, whisk together the vinegar, orange zest, orange juice, mustard, honey, and olive oil.  Season to taste with salt and pepper, adding more honey if desired.  Set the dressing aside at room temperature until serving time.

6. For the salad:  Slice the mozzarella into 1/4-inch thick slices and spread on a platter.

7. Drizzle the cheese some of the dressing and let sit at room temperature for about 20-30 minutes.

8. Cut off the top and bottom of each orange so that they will sit level on a cutting board.  Using a sharp knife, carefully cut the peel and pith off of each orange.  Cut the oranges crosswise into 1/4-inch thick slices.

9. Arrange the sliced beets, mozzarella, and oranges on each serving plate.  Season to taste with sea salt.  Top each salad with the fresh basil and drizzle with additional dressing, if desired.

Source: Earthbound Cook by Myra Goodman.