Beet Salad

As a kid I thought that can of beets my mom used to sit on the table was quite honestly one of the more gross things in life.  Apparently pickled beets made my nose scrunch.  The most amusing part is that I don't know if I ever even attempted a taste or it I was just so repulsed by their visual presentation.  Whatever the situation I decided a few years ago to give beets a try.  Whoa! I fell in love. 
I absolutley love beets now and laugh at how repulsed I was as a child by those lovely sweet vegetables.  I love them juiced, grated in salads, and roasted.  One of my favorite things to do with beets is make a beet salad. Oh my stars! This is one of my favorite salads on the planet and it is almost always a hit at a party or potluck. 
I have tried a few different versions of beet salads but I always come back to this simple version that I slightly adapted from my friend Heather's cooking class a couple summers ago.  It truly is divine!

Roasted Beet Salad

Beets (2 bunches)
Beet Greens, Swiss Chard, Kale, or Spinach (finely chopped)
Almond Cheese or Soft Goat Cheese
1 TBS Dijon Mustard
1 TBS Raw Honey
3-4 TBS Balsamic Vinegar
1/4 cup Olive oil (or to taste)
Salt & Pepper (to taste)

The first step is to scrub the beets and then roast them.  There are a couple ways of doing this.  The beets can be wrapped individually with foil and placed in a pan with an inch or so of water.  Another option is to place all the beets in a dish with an inch or so of water and simply cover the whole pan with a piece of foil.  I have found both ways yield delicious roasted beets.

Roast the beets at 350 for 1 1/2 hours.  This time may vary depending on the size of the beets so check them after about 60 minutes and know they are done when it is easy to pierce them with a fork. 

While the beets are roasting make the vinaigrette.  Mix together the mustard, honey, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. 

When beets are finished allow them to cool.  The next step is to peel the skins off the beets, which is a little messy but oh so worth it! I have found that sometimes the skins will just slip right off the beets using just your hands, especially in the summer when they are really fresh.  Otherwise a vegetable peeler works nicely to gently remove the skins.  It should still be pretty easy if the beets are roasted well.  After the beets are peeled chop them into bite-sized pieces.

Next add the chopped beets to a large mixing bowl with the vinaigrette.  Mix well to coat the beets.  Then add the finely chopped beet greens (or other green).  The amount of greens is really up for debate.  Add what looks appetizing.  If beets are fresh and in season using all the gorgeous greens that came on them seems to be the perfect amount.  Final step is to add the cheese.  The amount of cheese to use is really up to the individual taste as well.  I usually just add cheese until it looks good to me.  I have found I don't need a whole lot of cheese because I don't want the cheese to overpower the salad.  A few sprinkles will usually do the job.

Mix the final mixture together well and enjoy!