Beet Me, I like it
oh beets, you are so under appreciated. I came across this little bit of delicious one day at
The Kitchen!
What I love most about beets is how they stain your hands this great fuchsia, its wonderful, you should use it to color some of your food naturally....like one time I shredded beets (with a hint from Food In My Beard) and colored some dough to tie ribbons around my ravioli. It was yummy and pretty and all the girls and boys did flips for it....I did at least
want to know a secret -the real star of the show is barley-
Roasted Beet Salad with Barley, Feta, and Red Onion
Makes about 5 cups
1 cup dry pearl barley
4 medium beets, tops removed
1/2 large red onion (about 1 cup), minced and soaked in cold water for 1/2 hour
1/2 block of feta (about 4 ounces), cut into small squares or crumbled
4-5 scallions, sliced into fine rounds
1 1/2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 Tablespoon Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
salt and pepper to taste
extra sliced scallions for garnish
Heat the oven to 450-degrees.
Loosely wrap the beets in tin foil and roast in the oven until they are just fork tender--30 - 45 minutes. Peel and dice the beets into small cubes.
Meanwhile, bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Add the barley and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until the barley is al dente, about 30 minutes. If there is extra liquid in the pot, drain the barley and return it to the pan. Cover with a clean dishtowel until ready to use.
Drain the red onion.
Combine barley, beets, red onion, feta, and scallions in a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle the lemon juice and olive oil over the top and toss to coat.
Taste the mixture. As needed, add salt 1/4 teaspoon at a time (the feta is really salty!). Pepper to taste.
Serve family-style in a large bowl or in individual bowls. Garnish with extra scallions.