MAKES: 4 servings TESTED BY: Carla C.

072 Roasted Beet Salad with Shredded Greens, Golden Raisins, and Pine Nuts

TASTING COMMENTS:

One of the marks of a really good recipe is a balance of flavors. When we tasted this, we all loved that it had sweetness from the beets and raisins, pleasant bitterness from the greens, tanginess from the vinegar, and a little saltiness from the cheese.—CC

prep 25 minutes roast 55 minutes at 450°F

To toast pine nuts, place them in a small skillet over low to medium heat, stirring constantly, for 4 to 5 minutes until golden.

Ricotta salata is simply a salted, aged version of the ricotta we know and love. It is firmer than regular ricotta and crumbles easily, like feta cheese.

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Cut tops from beets; set aside. Place beets and rosemary on a large piece of heavy foil; drizzle with 1 Tbsp. of the oil. Bring up two opposite edges of foil; seal with a double fold. Fold in remaining edges to completely enclose, leaving space for steam to build. Roast 55 minutes or until tender. Carefully open packet to release steam. Set aside until cool enough to handle. Peel skins from beets and cut into wedges. Discard rosemary.

2. For balsamic reduction, pour balsamic vinegar into a small saucepan. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer 15 minutes or until reduced to ¼ cup. Cool. (Reduction will thicken as it cools.)

3. Meanwhile, remove stems from beet tops; discard stems. Cut tops into fine shreds. In a large bowl gently toss together roasted beets and beet tops with remaining 2 Tbsp. oil until greens are slightly wilted. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. Arrange salad on a platter and sprinkle with remaining ingredients. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar reduction.

*Tip Look in large supermarkets or specialty cheese shops for ricotta salata.

Per serving 343 cal., 19 g fat (5 g sat. fat), 21 mg chol., 602 mg sodium, 36 g carb., 5 g fiber, 26 g sugars, 10 g pro.

BALSAMIC VINEGAR Balsamic vinegar is made when white grape pressings are boiled down to a dark syrup, then aged. The vinegars aged the longest under traditional restrictions are most expensive.

BALSAMIC REDUCTION Reducing balsamic vinegar creates a more intensely flavored, almost syruplike consistency. Drizzle it over roasted meat or poultry, fresh berries, poached pears, and ice cream.

TESTING NOTES

1. Because this salad uses the whole beet from root to stem, it’s important to look for firm, brightly colored beets that are about 2 inches in diameter. The greens should be fresh without signs of wilting, and the taproot should still be attached to the beet.

2. Place the beets in heavy foil with rosemary and olive oil. Fold opposite edges together and seal with a double fold. Fold in the remaining edges to seal completely, but leave space for steam. This allows the beets to cook through completely and softens the skins for easy peeling.

3. To remove the stems from the beet greens, hold the end of each stem with one hand and pull the leaf, from the bottom end of the stem, upward toward the top. It will slip right off.

4. Slicing the greens for the salad is much easier if you stack the leaves and roll them into a tube shape. Slice the greens, working all the way to the end of the rolled leaves. If you don’t love beet greens, skip them and serve the roasted beets with another sturdy green, such as kale or a mesclun mix.

Roasted Beet Salad with Shredded Greens, Golden Raisins, and Pine Nuts