Warm Beet Salad with Cara Cara Oranges & Chevre
Topped with tangy goat cheese and juicy orange slices, this colorful salad is a true springtime pick-me-up.
Ingredients:
Roasted beets, sliced and still warm from the oven
1 Cara Cara Orange
½ cup crumbled fresh chevre
¼ cup toasted hazelnuts or pecans, chopped
Fresh-cracked pepper
For the dressing:
½ cup high-quality olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
A large pinch of this week’s La Boîte spice blend
1 clove garlic, crushed
Fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Whisk together all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl, then toss about half of the dressing with the warm beets.
2. Using a sharp paring knife, cut the tops and bottoms off the orange. Stand the orange up and slice to remove the peel and membrane. Then, slice it crosswise into thin wheels.
3. On a serving platter, arrange the beet slices and then top with the orange slices. Drizzle with additional vinaigrette as desired, then top the salad with the crumbled chevre and toasted nuts.
Variation: This salad is also lovely served atop a bed of baby spinach greens.
Citrus-Beet Slaw
A refreshing, spring take on classic coleslaw!
Ingredients:
3 medium oranges
1 large bunch baby red beets, peeled and shredded
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice
Zest of 1 lemon
¼ teaspoon salt, plus more as needed
Fresh Italian parsley, chopped
Method:
1. Using a fine grater, grate the zest from one of the oranges. Juice two of the oranges and then peel, seed and dice the remaining orange.
2. In a small bowl, combine the orange juice and zest, olive oil and then the lemon juice and zest. Whisk in the salt and set aside.
3. In a salad bowl, combine the diced oranges with the shredded beets. Drizzle with the dressing, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes, tossing the salad a few times as it chills. Taste for seasoning and add more salt as needed; garnish with the parsley before serving.
Radicchio Salad with Cara Cara & Blood Oranges
This lovely salad from Ina Garten is sure to brighten up even the gloomiest gray day.
Ingredients:
1 cup (2-4) shallots, peeled and thinly sliced into rings, and separated
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 head each of Treviso and Rosalba radicchio, halved, cored and shredded like slaw
8 ounces baby arugula
2 Cara Cara oranges, peeled and sliced into thin half-rounds
2 blood oranges, peeled and sliced into thin half-rounds
⅔ cup pitted Kalamata olives
½ cup freshly-squeezed lemon juice
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ cup olive oil
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Place the shallots in a small shallow bowl and pour the vinegar over them. Set aside for 10 minutes to macerate.
2. In a large serving bowl, combine both radicchio, the arugula, both oranges and olives. Lift the shallots from the vinegar with a slotted spoon, sprinkle them on the salad, and toss lightly to combine (discard vinegar).
3. In a 1-cup glass measuring cup, whisk together the lemon juice, mustard, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. While whisking, slowly add in the olive oil. Pour enough of the vinaigrette over the salad to moisten well. Sprinkle with an additional pinch of salt, toss well and serve.
Roasted Cara Cara Oranges
These gorgeous oranges are a wonderful addition to a cheeseboard; or, remove the rinds and toss into a salad!
Ingredients:
3 Cara Cara oranges, sliced into thick wedges
½ cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey
½ cup pistachios or other toasted nut of your choice, chopped
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to broil. Line a baking sheet or roasting pan with foil or parchment paper and place the orange wedges on pan. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over the top of the exposed fruit.
2. Place under a broiler for 3-5 minutes, until the brown sugar is bubbly and beginning to brown and the edges are caramelized. Remove from oven. Drizzle orange wedges evenly with honey and top with the nuts. Serve warm.
