Entertain the Possibilities - Home cooking becomes a special occasion; Get recipes, photos, tips and playlists
  • Blog
  • About

Purple Reign: These Beets Can’t be Beat

8/31/2016

0 Comments

 
Roasted Beet Salad with Goat Cheese and Pistachios
Roasted Beet Salad with Goat Cheese and Pistachios
Picture
Purple passion was everywhere that night – in the beats, in the beets, and in the hearts and souls of thousands of Prince fans gathered in Chicago’s Millennium Park.

Sometimes the elements converge to create perfection – a perfect moment, perfect song, a perfect happening. We experienced one such occasion last week at a movies-in-the-park screening of Prince’s 1984 modern classic, Purple Rain.

​Scheduled far in advance of the singer’s untimely demise earlier this year, this event turned into a tribute and celebration of Prince’s unique artistry, bringing an estimated 20,000+ fans to the Pritzker Pavilion for a soul-stirring evening that became so much more than a movie.

Picture
As usual, we brought a picnic to the park and made merry with good friends. Everyone enjoyed the tasty beet salad (it’s purple, you see) – details to come a bit later.
​
But first I want to share more about the powerful energy of that evening. The crowd was stoked, jazzed, psyched, and on fire. Man, it was contagious!

​From the movie’s first frame well past the final credits, we were singing, screaming, swaying, swooning, and waving our purple glow sticks in the air like we just don’t care. The vibe was that of a live rock concert, a hot sweaty night club, an intimate lovers rendezvous, and church all rolled up into one massive feel-good experience. Although we lost a masterful musician and true innovator when Prince left us in April, his gifts can and do still raise us up to the loftiest heights. Thank you, Prince Rogers Nelson.

Famously protective about his music’s distribution, Prince did not approve of online music streaming so we won’t post a playlist. But I’ve got the Purple Rain soundtrack on right now in my headphones and I encourage you to do the same as you read about the salad.  

Picture
We’ve posted few times this summer about delicious make-ahead picnic salads, and here’s another one that is simple to make, easily transportable, a crowd pleaser on day #1, and still good for leftovers on day #2. Downside = stains from the beets, if you’re as messy as I am. Don’t wear white while cooking or eating this salad. Trust.

Imminently adaptable, this salad hardly needs a recipe (but I’ll give it a try, below). Greens of your choice form the base; baby spinach is traditional. Slow-roasted beets sliced on top. Creamy goat cheese crumbled on top of that, and a sprinkling of toasted nuts. Do not dress the salad in advance but serve a vinaigrette of your choice on the side. (My favorite homemade version is this one from Thomas Keller’s recipe.) Over time the beets will tint the goat cheese a lovely shade of magenta, but don’t worry, it will still taste fantastic. 

Click the photos to enlarge them and read the captions.

Printable Recipe- Roasted Beet Salad with Goat Cheese and Pistachios
File Size: 499 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Roasted Beet Salad with Goat Cheese and Pistachios  
Recipe source: Ann Johnson
Serves 4
 
INGREDIENTS:
  • 4 medium-sized beets, scrubbed well, greens removed
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 6-8 cups lettuce greens of your choice (spinach, romaine, arugula, or a mix), washed and dried, torn into medium-sized pieces if necessary
  • 4 oz. goat cheese, crumbled into large chunks
  • ½ cup shelled pistachios, roasted and salted
NOTE: You may substitute other nuts such as chopped almonds, hazelnuts, or walnuts. Toast them for about 5 minutes in a dry skillet over low heat, in a toaster oven, or in a regular oven at 300°F. watching carefully so they don’t burn.
  • ¼ - ½ cup Vinaigrette style salad dressing of your choice – to drizzle on top and serve alongside

DIRECTIONS:
  • Preheat oven to 425°F.
  • Place 2 beets (approximately the same size) on a large sheet of aluminum foil. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil over the beets. Seal up the packet by crimping the top and side edges together. Make another packet with the 2 remaining beets.
  • Set packets on a baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven. Cook for 45-60 minutes.
  • Starting at 45 minutes, check for doneness by carefully opening a packet to test the beets with a sharp knife. If the knife easily pierces through the beet, it’s done. If there’s some resistance, re-seal the packet and continue cooking at 5 minute increments until all beets are tender.
  • Place the baking sheet on a cooling rack and open the foil packets. Let the beets cool until they’re able to be handled. Peel the beets. The skin should peel right off, but use a paring knife if needed. NOTE: I use kitchen gloves.
  • Cut the beets into wedges or medium-sized chunks and refrigerate until time to assemble the salad.
NOTE: I prepared the ingredients and stored separately about 6 hours before dinner time, and assembled the salad right before packing the cooler and leaving the house – about 3 hours before serving. Feel free to adjust the prep/assembly/serving times. This is an amazingly flexible dish!
  • Assemble the Salad: Arrange the lettuce leaves on the serving platter (or large Tupperware container)
  • Place the beet wedges/chunks on top of the greens.
  • Top the beets with the crumbled goat cheese.
  • Sprinkle the pistachios (or other nuts) on top.
  • Right before serving, drizzle a few tablespoons of vinaigrette over the salad. Serve the rest of the vinaigrette on the side. 
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    When home cooking becomes a special occasion - Recipes, playlists, table tips and more
    Picture

    ​
    Entertaining Vintage

    Vintage treasures for the kitchen, home, collectibles, and gifts

    Categories

    All
    Afternoon Dance Break
    Birthday Greetings
    Cookbook Road Test
    Cool Tunes
    Drinks
    Entertaining Vintage
    Fish
    Kitchen Reno
    Kitchen Tips
    National Days
    Party Planning
    Pop Culture
    Recipe
    Savory Bites
    Supper Club
    Sweet Bites
    The Arts
    Travel
    TV
    Video

    Archives

    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    August 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015

    RSS Feed

    Subscribe to our mailing list

    * indicates required
Proudly powered by Weebly