Winter Garden Harvest Salad

Ok.  I admit that it is not the most beautiful salad I have ever seen.

 

 

 

 

But I don’t care.

 

 

I grew this salad myself.

 

 

In my greenhouse.

 

 

Just me, myself and I.

 

 

 

 

Well.  Truth be told.  I just grew this.

 

 

 

 

The lettuce.

 

 

Butter greens.

 

 

 

 

They were out of control.

 

 

So I had to make a salad.

 

 

I got some beets at the farmer’s market today and roasted them.

 

 

I wanted to keep it simple to showcase my lettuce.

 

 

And my extreme talent of all things agriculture.

 

 

That may have been an exaggeration.

 

 

 

 

Since I usually tend to kill anything green.

 

 

Chris was very impressed.

 

 

 

 

And really, what would roasted beets be without a little ton of goat cheese.

 

 

Because that, my friends (all 6 of you), is one of my favorite combinations.  Roasted beets and goat cheese.

 

 

I was going to stop there, but I thought we needed a little more color.

 

 

 

 

So I whacked up a tomato.

 

 

From said farmer’s market.

 

 

This salad would also be good with some toasted walnuts.

 

 

Didn’t have any.

 

 

Or avocado.

 

 

Didn’t have any.

 

 

Or anything else you want.

 

 

The point is that I made a salad with the fruit of my bounty.

 

 

Well — the lettuce anyway.

 

 

But you have to start somewhere, right?

 

 

 

 

And I haven’t killed it.

 

 

Yet.

 

 

Winter Garden Harvest Salad

Ingredients:

As much Butter Lettuce as you can grow

3 beets, peeled and sliced into 1/4 inches

4 oz goat cheese — I did say a little ton

1 tomato, cut into chunks — we are very specific here

Balsamic Vinaigrette, see below

 

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 F.  Line a baking sheet with foil.  I do this because I am lazy and do not like to wash pans.  Throw the beets on there and toss them with a few tablespoons of the vinaigrette.  Bake for 15 -20 minutes until fork tender and make sure you give them a stir every 5 minutes or so or the little stinkers will stick and get all jacked up.  Trust me on this.

 

Balsamic Vinaigrette:

1/4 cup of Balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Combine Balsamic vinegar, hone and Dijon, drizzle in olive oil while whisking until combined.

 

Toss the beets and tomatoes on lettuce.  Top with goat cheese and drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette.