Fresh beet salad with oranges and fried onions

6 servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
4 mediums Beets (or 6-8 small ones)
1 Rosemary sprig
¼ cup Rice vinegar
¼ cup Orange juice
1 tablespoon Olive oil
½ teaspoon Salt
2 mediums Oranges
½ tablespoon Olive oil
1½ cup Onion(s), thinly sliced
1 teaspoon Balsamic vinegar

Directions

BEET DRESSING

1. Remove the stems and leaves from the beets, leaving an inch or two of stem attached to keep the beets from bleeding. (Save the young, tender beet green. When blanched, they can substitute for Swiss chard.) Scrub the beets with a vegetable brush to clean them. Steam until almost soft, 15-20 minutes. Remove beets from steamer and set aside to cool.

2. Reduce the liquid remaining in the pot to 1 cup. If you end up with less, add enough water to make 1 cup.

3. Place the beet liquid, rosemary, rice vinegar, orange juice, and salt in a saucepan and reduce over low heat until ¬ cup remains, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool. Set aside.

4. Meanwhile, peel and section the orange, removing the white membrane. Set aside.

5. Heat a cast-iron skillet over high heat for 2 minutes. Add the olive oil and then the onions, lower the heat to medium and saut‚ the onions until they're almost black, 10-15 minutes. Let cool.

6. When the beets have cooled, peel them and cut them into thin strips.

Can be prepared to this point 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

7. To make the beet dressing, add the olive oil and balsamic vinegar to the reserve ¬ cup beet mixture and stir until blended.

8. Place the dressing in a bowl. Add the orange sections, saut‚ed onions, and julienned beets. Gently fold together and serve.

The Occasional Vegetarian by Karen Lee ISBN 0-446-51792-5 pg 91-92 Submitted By DIANE LAZARUS On 10-05-95

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