Roasted Beets, Feta, Grapefruit, Sherry, and Tarragon Salad
Mondok and Temple use a goat’s milk feta from Briar Rose Creamery in Dundee, Oregon. This vibrant salad’s ingredients successfully bridge the gap between late winter and early spring. For the true Oregon locavore experience, pair with Penner-Ash Viognier or Heater Allen Pilsner.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds beets ideally, an assortment of red, golden, and Chioggia, with leaves removed
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus a bit for beets
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- 1 large shallot
- 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar they use Pedro Ximenez
- ¼ cup canola oil
- 1 large ruby red grapefruit
- 1 small bunch tarragon
- ¼ pound goat’s milk feta cheese
Instructions
- Toss the beets in a bowl with a little bit of oil, salt, and pepper. Place in a baking dish with a few ounces of water (to prevent beets from burning or sticking). Cover pan with foil, and roast at 300°F for about 2 hours, or until fork tender.
- Peel the skins off the beets once they are cool enough to handle, and cut into bite-sized pieces. Chill in the refrigerator, with the different colored beets stored separately so they do not bleed onto each other.
- Make the vinaigrette. Dice the shallot very finely, and place in a small mixing bowl. Add the sherry vinegar, canola oil, and extra-virgin olive oil, and whisk together. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Peel the grapefruit, and supreme* the segments, making sure to remove all pith. Remove the tarragon leaves from the stem. Crumble the feta.
- Assemble the salad. Place the beets and grapefruit segments in a large bowl, season with salt and pepper, and toss with the vinaigrette. Place dressed beets and grapefruit in serving bowls, sprinkle with crumbled feta, and garnish with tarragon leaves.
Notes
*“Supreme” just means removing the flesh of a citrus fruit minus the membranes that separate each segment. To do this, first peel the fruit and cut away the outer membrane with a sharp paring knife. Then cut each segment out by slicing between the membrane and the juicy parts.
