Serves 6.
Ingredients
2 pounds baby beets, with leaves attached
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
1/2 pound arugula
1/4 pound good-quality blue cheese, crumbled, at room temperature
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/4 cup Spiced Almonds (recipe follows)
1/4 cup Sage Vinaigrette (recipe follows)
Directions
To prepare the beets, remove the leaves from the beets and wash in several changes of waters. Leave about 2 inches of stem on each beet and scrub thoroughly.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the beets in a roasting pan and toss with the olive oil, salt and pepper and 1 cup of water. Cover with aluminum foil and roast until tender, about 45 minutes. When the beets have cooled slightly but are still warm, rub off the skins with a towel, leaving the stems still attached. Set aside.
To prepare the beet greens, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the greens and simmer just until tender, about 3 to 5 minutes depending upon the size and thickness of the greens. Shock in a bowl of ice water and drain.
To prepare the salad, Place the beets, beet greens, arugula, red onion, spiced almonds and blue cheese in a large mixing bowl. Add the dressing and salt and pepper and mix well. Serve immediately.
SAGE VINAIGRETTE
Whisk together 1/4cup champagne vinegar, 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, 2 teaspoons honey and salt and pepper to taste. Add 1/2 cup canola oil and 6 tablespoons Sage Oil (recipe follows) and whisk to emulsify.
SAGE OIL
Place 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 1/4cup sage leaves, 6 cloves garlic and a pinch of salt in a small pot. Bring to a simmer over low heat. Cool completely and strain. You will have about 1 cup.
SPICED ALMONDS
Mix together 1 quart sliced almonds, 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon hot smoked paprika, 4 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 teaspoon cayenne, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon ground black pepper. Spread on baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
