I'm constantly accused of only preparing dishes that I like, while neglecting ingredients that the others enjoy but I've never acquired a taste for. Beets would be a prime example. Michael loves them, I on the other hand could have spent the rest of my life without ever eating a single bite of one and still left this earthly plane completely contented. That is until a basket of fiery colored beets caught my eye at our local farm store. A quick Googling informed that the golden version had a better, sweeter taste then the standard red ones had, so I decided to give'em a try; hoping the beautifully hued root veggies could help me shed some of the accusations of meal time indifference. The web provided a host of various recipe options, (no surprises there!) including a salad that paired the beets with dill and Dijon, I couldn't resist. So here you have it; a warm Dilly Dijon Golden Beet and String Bean salad that even the most beet leery will enjoy!
The Dressing
Prepare it first and set it aside
Whisk together:
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
2 TBS chopped fresh dill, or 3 TBS dried
3 TBS prepared Dijon mustard (you can substitute a yellow mustard if you prefer a more mild tasting dressing, I used Organicville's which is more of a yellow color then most Dijons, but still has a richer flavor then standard yellow mustard).
3 TBS pure maple syrup (non vegans could use honey)
1 1/4 cup olive oil
1 TSP garlic powder
1 TSP onion powder
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
adjust seasoning to taste as necessary (I added more onion powder)
The Veggies
6 medium to large golden beets
1 pound of string beans
1 small sweet onion
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Trim and rinse 6 medium to large beets, then wrap each individually
first in parchment paper and then in foil (Martha said too, don't blame me!)
place the doubly wrapped beets on a baking pan in the center of the oven and bake for 55 minutes
While beets are baking trim and wash 1 pound of string beans
Fill a large pot with water, add salt and bring to a rolling boil, blanch string beans for exactly 6 mins.
After 6 mins strain the string beans and rinse in cold water for a minute, then add to a large bowl
Peel and thinly slice the onion and add it to the bowl with the string beans
After 55 minutes remove the beets from the oven and carefully unwrap them
As soon as beets are safe to handle, but still on the warm side, peel and dice into approximately 1/2 inch cubes
rinse them again if necessary then add to the bowl of string beans and sliced onion
toss with the dressing
add freshly ground pepper, serve and enjoy!
****Peeling the beets before roasting them can cause the flesh of the beet to brown and get dingy looking, peeling them after roasting protects them from discoloring.
