Baby, it’s cold outside! But we still need salad. Root vegetables are the anchor of NC winter produce, and they are at the heart of this recipe from Chef Beth: a centerpiece salad that leaves room for creativity.
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Wash sweet potato well and pat dry. Roast in a 350 F oven until just cooked through or knife tender. Approximately 30 minutes, depending on size of sweet potato. Once cooked and cooled to room temperature, peel should come right off. Dice potatoes and set aside.
3. Roast your beets.
Add beets to a 2-3-inch-deep baking dish. Add a drizzle of olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and finally add 1 inch of water to pan. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and roast for 45-1 hour depending on size of beets. Cook until knife tender.
4. When beets are cooked through, remove from baking dish, reserve cooking liquid for using in a puree if you like.
5. Cool beets to room temperature, then wearing gloves and using a paper towel or an old towel that you don’t mind ruining, gently rub the skin off the beets. It will come off so easily you will be shocked! Use roasted beets in salads, serve as a side dish, pickle, or even make a beautiful magenta beet puree using a bit of butter and the reserved cooking liquid.
6. Top lettuces with thinly sliced watermelon radish, roasted beets, sweet potatoes and your favorite balsamic vinaigrette for lovely fall salad. For extra crunch and texture try adding toasted nuts or pumpkin seeds or kick it up with some crumbled goat cheese.