CSA season has started again. You know what that means. Salads. Lots and lots of salads. It’s quite a welcome change, actually, considering the less-than-healthy fare we’ve been eating non-stop for the last few months. All in the name of recipe development!
By far one of our favorite salads is this one: full of hearty and sweet roasted root vegetables. With goat cheese (of course). It’s filling enough to count for dinner (or would be great as a side alongside a more substantial meat). The roasting brings out the natural sweetness of the beets and carrots, and makes less-desirable roots like radishes and turnips surprisingly edible. Plus I love the way that the beets stain every thing they touch a vibrant magenta. It’s like a sunset in a tin-foil packet.
Peel and cut beets into 1-inch pieces. Chop remaining root veggies into similarly sized pieces and place in a large bowl. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and salt and pepper to taste; toss to coat. Dump veggies onto a large piece of aluminum foil and fold up edges to form a packet. Place packet on cookie sheet and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until veggies are tender. Toss lettuce with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil and balsamic vinegar, plus more salt and pepper to taste. Divide among serving bowls. Top with roasted veggies and crumbled goat cheese.
