Rosie Makes A Beet, Feta, And Walnut Salad.

 

 Do I have your attention?

Mr. Hawthorne is quite the beet lover.

Me, not so much.  

Until I made my own just to see what all the fuss was about.

Our pantry has several jars of pickled beets.  I've tried a bite or two, over time, but never cared for them.

I'm a stubborn person and whenever I don't "like" something, I am determined to find a way that I do "like" it.  And I succeeded.

 The other day at Food Lion, I saw beets and decided to have my way with them.

I'm so happy I did.  Now I like beets!

 Rosie's Beet Salad

 3 medium beets

4 oz. feta cheese

1/2 cup walnuts, lightly toasted and crumbled

chopped parsley

zest of one orange

I trimmed the beets, lightly oiled them with a bit of peanut oil, wrapped them up in foil, and roasted in a 400°oven until tender.  This took over an hour.  Let cool.  Peel and cube.

 Cube feta same size as beets and combine with crumbled toasted walnuts.  Gently toss with vinaigrette.  Serve and top individual servings with orange zest and, if desired, more parsley.  

I zest the orange at the end so as to keep the pretty orange color vibrant and orange, not beet red.

Vinaigrette

Whenever I make a vinaigrette, I use a basic ratio of somewhere around 1 part vinegar to 3 parts oil along with additional flavorings and seasonings.  

1 TB rice vinegar

1 tsp sugar

pinch kosher salt

generous grinds of pepper

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp red wine

1 TB minced shallots

1 TB chopped parsley

about 3/8 cup Bertolli Extra Light Olive Oil

Combine vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper, Dijon, shallots, and parsley.

Slowly whisk in olive oil until you have a nice emulsion.

The reason I use Bertolli Extra Light Olive Oil is because the flavor of the oil does not overpower any of the other flavors in my salad.  It's pretty much my go-to olive oil when I don't want complicated flavors going on.

  

 

 Beets and feta.

 I believe we have the makin's of a vinaigrette.

 Gently toss with vinaigrette.

Zest orange over top.