Winter Citrus Salad With Shrimp,Goat Cheese And Beets

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It seems everywhere I turn in the blogosphere, or in the world of printed media, there is yet another recipe for a citrus salad.  If it's January/February in the world of food, it is citrus.  Nothing else is as exciting as oranges, pomelos or grapefruit, or variations thereof.  No more soups...that is so January.   So here's Lindaraxa's take, and that's just because she found herself cleaning her refrigerator in the middle of a major ice storm, and a citrus salad in February is de rigeur.

I don't know about you, but I have this wonderful can opener, made by a German company, that opens a can and pretty much seal it at the same time.  Things stay fresher that way and, right now, I find myself with lots of sealed cans in the refrigerator that have to be dealt with... like mandarin oranges, Le Seur peas and beets.

It is freezing today, this is Georgia, and we have already two inches of snow on the ground where I live.  Nobody is going to work, and that includes my daughter.  Lunchtime is approaching and I want to make something special, for lunch, on a snowy day, for my daughter.   So here's killing two birds with one stone:

Citrus Salad With Shrimp, Goat Cheese And Beets

Lunch For Two

Ingredients:

1  large navel orange, mandarin or  tangelo
2 hard boiled eggs
6 steamed shrimp
8 black imported (kalamata) black olives, pitted

Vinaigrette

½ teaspoon finely minced garlic
2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 heaping teaspoon freshly chopped fresh cilantro, or more

1 head, or more, Butter Lettuce
Thin slices of red onion
Pickled sliced red beets
1/2 cup goat cheese
thinly sliced red pepper
chick peas (optional)

Directions:

Trim off the ends of the orange, mandarin or tangelo. Peel them, then cut into quarter inch slices and put them in a mixing bowl. Add the olives and steamed shrimp.

To make the vinaigrette, place the garlic, vinegar and oil, chopped cilantro, salt and pepper in a small jar with a tight lid and shake well. Pour half the vinaigrette over the oranges, shrimp and olives and toss well.

In a big salad bowl, break the lettuce leaves in medium bites, add the red onion, beets, sliced red peppers and chick peas (if using) and toss well.  Add the shrimp, orange mix, the additional vinaigrette and toss again.  Correct for seasonings and dressing.  Sprinkle the goat cheese and the hard boiled eggs.

 Easily doubled or tripled. For a more formal lunch, add a hot soup to begin with and a crusty baguette.

Photos and recipe Lindaraxa

Cold Beet Salad With Mint And Chevre

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I have yet to serve this salad to someone who didn't like it...and that includes people who say they are not in love with beets.  My father, being the product of an Ivy League education, adored Harvard Beets.  It was one of the first recipes I ever posted on this blog.  My children, unfortunately, gag on them so I have to devise all kinds of tricks to serve them at home.  Chopped in salads is one way, although I've often found them in a neat little pile at the bottom of the bowl hidden under some lettuce.  This has been by far the most successful way and I am no fool to believe it is the beets they are after and not the goat cheese!

A few years ago beets and goat cheese started appearing in fancy restaurants as an appetizer, often served on a bed of arugula with chopped walnuts sprinkled on top.  You can also stack the beets and spread goat cheese in between the slices for a very fancy presentation.  I think this was Wolfgang Puck's idea,  one he often served at his catered parties.  Very dramatic and very good.

Whatever you do, don't use canned beets.  There is nothing like fresh ones and the difference is a big one.


Serves 6

Ingredients:

•1 bunch of beets (3 large), any garden variety

•1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, loosely packed

•1/4 oz. chèvre, crumbled

•Olive oil & Vinegar

•Sea salt or kosher salt

Arugula (optional)

Walnuts (optional)

Directions

Discard top leaves and drop beets in boiling water.  Cook for about 1 hr or until done.  With a fork pierce them and test for doneness.
 Transfer them to a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let them sit for about 30 minutes until cool enough to peel..

Cut beets in slices or large chunks.

Stack mint leaves on top of each other and chiffonade them by rolling lengthwise like a cigarette and slicing into thin ribbons. Discard the stems.

Place the beets in the refrigerator until cold.

Using a fork, crumble a small amount of chèvre into a small bowl or plate and set aside.

Sprinkle mint onto the beets and stir, leaving a few ribbons for garnish. Add olive oil and vinegar to taste (i use 1 part vinegar, 3 parts olive oil).   Adjust salt to taste. Transfer beets to a serving bowl and sprinkle with chèvre and remaining mint. Serve immediately.

You can serve on a bed of arugula and/or sprinkle walnuts on top.


Photo: Food Network

Harvard Beets...Be Adventurous!

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When you ask people if they like beets, the first thing they do is wrinkle their nose. But when you serve them as a fait accompli, they say, "ah, yes, I haven't had these in a while". Somehow, beets are pretty low on the totem pole. We don't look for them like we do carrots, spinach and even broccoli. If we see them, they don't register. I guess they are kind of intimidating to most. When I don't know what to do with a vegetable or anything else, the first thing I do is go to the Joy of Cooking. They always have a good recipe for whatever you want to make. This recipe, on the other hand, is an adaptation of an old recipe of my grandmother's. She served everything, and God forbid we didn't eat it.

To cook beets, all you have to do is boil them in plenty of water until they are done. Medium size beets should take about 40 minutes. The big one I got at the market took almost an hour. Use a fork to test. Peel and cool slightly. It's that simple. If you want them in a salad, just cool and add oil and vinegar. They are great with goat cheese on a green salad too.

Harvard Beets

Yield: Serves 6

12 medium-sized cooked beets whole or cut up
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon cornstarch flour
1-1/2 cups water from the beets
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup vinegar
salt, cloves, and nutmeg

Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Blend in the flour and stir in the water from the beets . Cook, stirring constantly until smooth and thick. Add the sugar and vinegar, then salt, cloves, and nutmeg to taste. When well mixed, add the beets and serve hot.