I made this salad last night. Actually, that’s not true. Andy fried some flounder and made this salad last night. Yesterday morning, he declared, as he is wont to do, that he felt like being in charge of dinner. That was fine by me because I had a lot of email to catch up with, and figured I could work while he cooked. I flipped open my laptop at the kitchen table and sipped a glass of wine, while he dredged some flounder and set the Sonos to Gravity’s Gone [1]. On repeat. As he is wont to do. Then I saw him remove the kale from the fridge as he is wont to—
I just…I just…couldn’t do kale again. It’s not so much that I’m over kale (which seems to be the trendy thing to say these days), it’s just that visions of beets and oranges had been swirling in my head all weekend. Also — and I am aware how this sounds — I knew beets would be less of a fight with the girls than kale, especially when pared with oranges. And I don’t like fighting at Sunday dinner.
“Kale salad sound good?” he asked as he pulled down a bowl from the shelf.
“Sure,” I shouted over the Truckers. “Or beets with oranges? I’ll make it — just going to finish writing this email.”
But by the time I pressed “send” — couldn’t have been more than 10 minutes — there was a genius winter salad on the table. Beets and oranges, yes, but also feta, almonds, some chopped mint and freshly ground pepper.
I think it’s the new kale salad.
Beets with Oranges and Feta
Lately, Abby’s been tossing the pre-cooked beets from Trader Joe’s into the shopping cart. They look kind of strange all slimy and tightly shrink-wrapped together. But seriously, who am I to stop her?
In a large bowl whisk together 1/4 cup red wine vinegar (or white balsamic if you have it) with 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, a sprinkle of sugar.
Amounts to taste: Add greens, cooked beets (roughly chopped), oranges (sliced or supremed [2] if you are man enough), almonds or pistachios, a few mint leaves (chopped), a sprinkling of feta, a handful of chopped scallions, salt and freshly ground pepper. Toss.
Book owners: Fried flounder recipe, page 143.