Beet and “Gorgonzola” Salad

beet and “gorgonzola” salad

Beet and “Gorgonzola” Salad~ Beets always remind of dark burgundy lipstick, the kind worn by old Hollywood sirens.  Add the onions and the cashew Gorgonzola and it is like dressing and jeweling the siren to walk down the red carpet.  My grandmother used to tell me that her mother’s lips and cheeks were always a gentle crimson color (from eating beets) and I have been obsessed with that my whole life and, thus, beets.  As a teenager I often wondered if in fact it was the beets that gave vintage movie stars the decadent rouge color on their faces rather than by Max Factor himself.

This salad makes a great addition to any table as the beets and green onions look like a mount of jewels.  Every bite of this dish always makes me want more so I have to stop myself.   In my days of eating cheese, I liked a bit of a bittersweet taste that Gorgonzola provided in salads.  The marinated cashews in the sesame oil and spring onion mixture replace the Gorgonzola taste nicely I think.

Beet and “Gorgonzola” Salad

Ingredients

• 8 medium size beets
• 3/4 cup of cashew crumble
• 1 cup of spring onions chopped small
• 1 tablespoon of toasted sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon of olive oil
• Juice of one large juicy ripe lime
• 1/2 teaspoon of agave nectar
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

• In a medium size bowl, mix the spring onions, cashew crumble, agave, sesame and olive oils and lime juice.  Add salt and pepper to taste. You can make this a bit saltier than you would usually since the salt helps the flavors come together and you will be spreading this onto a good portion of beets.   Cover and let marinade in the refrigerator until the beets are chopped later in the recipe.
• Cut the greens from the beets and discard them.  Wash the beets and put them in medium pot with water making sure they are completely covered.  Bring water to a boil on high heat and then lower heat until water simmers.  Cook for 20-30 minutes.  Stick a fork in one beet and see if it is soft.  This means they are done.
• Take beets out of the water and let them cool completely.  Once cool, gently peel the skin away with your hands.
• Cut beets into small squares and place in a large bowl.  Add marinade from the refrigerator and toss everything together.  Taste again and see if it needs more salt and pepper.
• Cover bowl and chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.
• Serves 6