Mother’s Day is around the corner and there’s no better way to celebrate than acknowledging the wonderful women in our lives. This is a nod to my Grandmother Tassie Mae, one of several women who taught me about food, family and faith.
This salad showcases beets in a beautiful way with layers of fresh greens, sweet blackberries, slices of crisp apples, toasted pecans and creamy honey goat cheese.
Beets were always in Tassie’s garden. She would frequently gather beets when they were young and pickle them, turning them into a modest but exquisite delicacy.
And roasting is an easy way to prepare beets, yielding delicious results. It brings out a surprising depth of earthiness in this beautiful root vegetable. Wonderful as a side, they’re also an incredible addition to salads.
Then grab a handful of pantry staples including cider vinegar, sugar, milk, eggs plus a pinch of kosher salt. Gently cook everything together, creating Tassie’s velvety Apple Cider Dressing. It’s tangy, sweet and creamy making it a perfect addition to this fresh salad.
Bursting with color and flavor this salad is both simple and elegant, a gorgeous nod to my sweet Tassie Mae!
Field Green Salad with Roasted Beets and Apple Cider Dressing
Roasted Beets
2 to 3 bunches of beets, about 7 to 8 medium size beets
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
Trim the tops and roots off the beets, peel and cut into pieces, about 2″ each. (Quick tip: wear food service gloves to prevent your hands from getting stained from the beet juice.) Toss the beets with the olive oil and spread out in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with foil. Sprinkle with the kosher salt and pepper.
Roast at 400-degrees for 35-40 minutes, stirring about every 15 minutes. Cook until the beets are cooked through and very tender.
Apple Cider Dressing
1 cup milk
â…” cup sugar
â…› teaspoon kosher salt
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
2 extra-large eggs, slightly beaten
In a small saucepan whisk together the milk, eggs, sugar, kosher salt, and cider vinegar. The vinegar will start to curdle the milk but will smooth out as it cooks.
Cook the dressing over medium-low heat until it is smooth and has thickened, about 15 to 20 minutes, stirring frequently. The dressing will thicken more as it cools.
Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
Field Green Salad with Roasted Beets
4 cups baby greens
1 to 1-½ cups roasted beets
1 cup blackberries
1 McIntosh or your favorite apple, cored and sliced thin
¼ cup toasted chopped pecans
¼ cup honey goat cheese, crumbled
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Place the field greens in the center of large platter or bowl. Place the roasted beets, blackberries, apple slices, and pecans around the edges or toss together. Scatter the goat cheese over the salad.
Season the salad with kosher salt and black pepper. Drizzle with Apple Cider Dressing and serve.
Serves 4.
Field Greens with Roasted Beets and Apple Cider Dressing
Equipment
- Rimmed baking sheet
- small saucepan
Ingredients
- For the beets:
- 2 to 3 bunches beets, about 7 to 8 medium size beets
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- For the dressing:
- 1 cup milk
- â…” cup sugar
- â…› teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 extra-large eggs, slightly beaten
- For the salad:
- 4 cups field greens
- 1 to 1-½ cups roasted beets
- 1 cup blackberries
- 1 McIntosh apple or your favorite, cored and sliced thin
- ¼ cup toasted chopped pecans
- ¼ cup honey goat cheese, crumbled
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
- For the beets:
- Trim the tops and roots off the beets, peel and quarter.(Quick tip:wear food service gloves to prevent your hands from getting stained from the beet juice.) Toss the beets with the olive oil and spread out in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with foil. Sprinkle with the kosher salt and pepper.
- Roast at 400-degrees for 35 to 40 minutes, stirring about every 15 minutes. Cook until the beets are cooked through and very tender.
- To make the dressing:
- In a small saucepan whisk together the milk, eggs, sugar, kosher salt, and cider vinegar. The vinegar will start to curdle the milk but will smooth out as it cooks.
- Cook the dressing over medium-low heat until it is smooth and has thickened, about 15 to 20 minutes, stirring frequently. The dressing will thicken more as it cools. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
- To assemble the salad:
- Place the field greens in the center of large platter or bowl. Place the roasted beets, blackberries, apple slices, and pecans around the edges or toss together. Scatter the goat cheese over the salad.
- Season the salad with kosher salt and black pepper. Drizzle with Apple Cider Dressing before serving.
