v:gourmet

I’m back. We were just on holiday without an internet connection so I couldn’t blog all the tasty things we were trying. So get ready – I have a whole whack of new ideas, fresh inspiration, and seasonal goodies for you to cook up during these lazy, hazy days of summer. First on the list? Beet salad two ways. It’s pretty much the same recipe, just two different incarnations depending on what’s in the cupboard. Both sound a little weird but they are awesome and complex with both sweet and savory. To boot, beets are in season so get thee to a farmer’s market and pick up some fresh local varieties like the bull’s blood beets I used in the first recipe and the chiogga’s I used in the second. Chiogga? Also called the candy cane beet, or bullseye beet it’s a pink stripped heirloom treasure from Italy.

8 small beets, cooked and peeled

2 oranges, sectioned and chopped

1/2 red onion, minced finely

3 tbsps fresh parsley, chopped

5 tbsps black olives, pitted and chopped

3 tbsps olive oil

1 1/2 tbsp red wine or sherry vinegar

sea salt and pepper

Cook the beets, let cool, and peel. Chop into quarters or eights. Peel the oranges, section, and chop into small chunks. Chop onion, parsley, and olives. Throw chopped ingredients, along with all the others, in a bowl and toss. Adjust seasoning to taste.

For version two simply switch up the olives for sun-dried or slow-roasted tomatoes. The first is more dark and earthy. This second recipe is brighter and lighter befitting a picnic on the beach with a bottle of rosé and a good book.