Winter salad recipe from Chef John Ash

When winter arrives, California citrus reaches its peak.  This recipe from famed Sonoma County chef John Ash, celebrates the season with a wonderful salad of roast beets and oranges.  For a truly memorable dish, add toasted walnuts and some Redwood Hill Goat Cheese.  You won’t be disappointed!

SALAD OF ROASTED BEETS AND ORANGES

Serve 6

This is a favorite wintertime salad when California citrus is at its most abundant.  It could not be simpler.  The combination makes a wonderful base for other ingredients such as fennel, goat cheese, toasted walnuts etc.

1-1/2 pounds beets (3 medium), green tops removed and saved for another use

Olive oil

Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground pepper

4 large navel oranges

1 cup balsamic vinegar

3 cups gently packed young peppery greens such as cress or arugula

To prepare the beets:  Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.  Scrub the beets well and place in a single layer in a small baking pan.  Lightly coat beets with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Cover with foil and roast until tender when pierced with the point of a small knife, about 45 minutes.  Let cool and slip off the skins with a paper towel.  Cut into wedges and set aside in a bowl.

Cut off the peel of each orange including the pith with a sharp knife.  Moving the knife along the membrane that separates the sections of the orange, cut down toward the center and let the sections fall into a small bowl along with any juices.  After removing all the sections, squeeze the oranges to capture any remaining juices.  Can be done up to a day ahead and stored covered and refrigerated.

In a small non-reactive saucepan, heat balsamic vinegar and orange juice (you should have at least 1/3 cup) to a moderate boil and reduce until the consistency of a syrup, about 10 minutes.  Keep an eye on the pan in the final couple of minutes to make sure mixture doesn’t burn.  You should end up with a generous 1/4 cup of syrup.

Toss beets with balsamic syrup.  Can be done up to 2 days ahead and stored covered and refrigerated.  Divide the greens on individual serving plates and arrange the beets and oranges attractively on top.  Drizzle with remaining syrup and serve.