Roasted Beet Salad

By [e-mail]

From Lynn Brackman

Ingredients

• Cooks' note:
• INGREDIENTS
• 1 1 1 1/4 beets (3/4 pound without greens or 1 1/4 pound with), trimmed
• 1/4 1/4 1/4 cup sliced natural almonds
• 3 3 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1 1 tablespoon minced shallot
• 1 1 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 1 1/2 1/2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
• 1/4 1/4 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 1/2 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1 1 large Asian pear
• 3 3 3 cups mâche or baby arugula (3 ounces)
• to 425°F. to 425°F.
• 1 to 1 1/2 and roast in middle of oven until tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Unwrap beets and cool.
• Stir together shallot, lemon juice, vinegar, sugar, salt, and oil from almonds in a large bowl.
• 1/4-inch-thick to to beets and halve large beets. Cut beets into 1/4-inch-thick slices and add to dressing, tossing to coat.
• Quarter and core pear and cut into julienne strips.
• Arrange beets on a platter and drizzle with any dressing remaining in bowl. Top with mâche, then pear. Sprinkle with almonds.
• 1 to be roasted and tossed with dressing 1 day ahead, then chilled and covered. (Keep toasted almonds, covered, at room temperature. Bring dressing to room temperature before using.)

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 425°F.
Wrap beets in foil and roast in middle of oven until tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Unwrap beets and cool.
While beets are roasting, cook almonds in oil in a small skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until pale golden. Cool almonds in oil (nuts will get darker as they cool). Transfer almonds with a slotted spoon to a small bowl and season with salt.
Stir together shallot, lemon juice, vinegar, sugar, salt, and oil from almonds in a large bowl.
Slip skins from beets and halve large beets. Cut beets into 1/4-inch-thick slices and add to dressing, tossing to coat.
Quarter and core pear and cut into julienne strips.
Arrange beets on a platter and drizzle with any dressing remaining in bowl. Top with mâche, then pear. Sprinkle with almonds.
Cooks' note:
Beets may be roasted and tossed with dressing 1 day ahead, then chilled and covered. (Keep toasted almonds, covered, at room temperature. Bring dressing to room temperature before using.)