The salty feta compliments the sweet golden beets in this beetroot and feta salad beautifully. Toasted hazelnuts add a little crunch. This simple salad is really delicious, easy to prepare, and makes a fabulous lunch. Serve on its own or with chunks of crusty bread.

With the great weather we are having this week I am reluctant to stop feasting on delicious light salads. I have plenty of great autumn and winter recipes lined up to share with you, but they can wait.

Organic Box

A couple of months ago I finally signed up to an organic box delivery. It was something I had wanted to do for some time but for one reason or another had not got around to doing. Now I wish I had done it much sooner.

For one thing I am really enjoying the challenge of making sure I use all the the vegetables I get. Because  the box is based on vegetables that are in season, the produce has always been of a great quality and has been surprisingly varied. I don't know about you, but when I'm shopping at a supermarket, it's very easy to pick up the same veg every time. With the box, if I get something different then I just put my thinking cap on and see what I can come up with. The only thing that I have failed on so far are Tomatillos which are still sitting in my fridge.  Does anyone have any recipes for them they can recommend?

Perhaps surprisingly, I actually think it is working out cheaper, all things considered. I do a lot of my supermarket shopping in the little "local" stores as they are in easy walking distance, but their vegetables can be pretty pricy. I am also more mindful not to waste any. Like many, if I do do a big shop it is very easy to buy too much and end up throwing them away. The box seems to be just about the right amount, and can be cancelled on weeks I don't need any. So all in all. I think its a win-win situation. Good quality vegetables and no waste!

Making the Beetroot and Feta Salad

This week I found, among other things,  a beautiful bunch of golden beetroots and some mixed salad leaves in the box and this salad instantly sprang to mind.  It is a fairly classic salad combination but the flavour is so good,   why mess with it.  I roasted the beetroot since I love how it seems to really bring out the sweetness of the beets. Because they were mixed sizes, I cut the big ones in half, and placed them cut side down on a lightly oiled baking tray together with the smaller beats.

They were then roasted  for about 45 minutes until just tender. The very small beet cooked a little quicker, so I removed it a few minutes early. After roasting they were allowed to cool and then the skin was easy to pull away with a knife before cutting into to chunks.

After that it was just a case of assembling the salad. For a dressing I used a simple oil and vinegar dressing made with a cider vinegar produced in Suffolk. The result was a fresh delicious salad made with organic or local ingredients. Perfect!

Beetroot and Feta Salad

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The salty feta compliments the sweet golden beets in this beetroot and feta salad beautifully. Add toasted hazelnuts for a little crunch. This simple salad is really delicious, easy to prepare, and makes a fabulous lunch. Serve on it's own or with chunks of crusty bread.

Course Salad

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 45 mins

Total Time 55 mins

Servings 2

Author Jacqueline Bellefontaine

Ingredients

• 25 g hazelnuts
• 1 bunch beets about 400g
• a little oil
• 75 g -100g mixed salad leaves
• 100-150 g feta
• for the dressing
• 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 4 teaspoon cider vinegar
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

• Preheat the oven 180℃ /160℃ fan/gas mark 4. Spread the hazelnuts out on a baking tray and toast in the oven for 10-12 minutes until golden. Cool and coarsely chop. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, trim the beetroot and place on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Roast in the oven for 45 minutes or until tender when pierced with a skewer.
• When tender remove from the oven and allow to cool. Once cool enough to handle remove the skin, which will pull away easily, and cut into wedges or chunks.
• Pile the salad leaves onto serving plates and arrange the beetroot on top. Crumble the feta over the salad.
• Whisk the ingredients for the the dressing together with a fork and drizzle over the salad. Scatter with the toasted hazelnuts and serve immediately.

Notes

Serves 4 as a side dish or 2 as a light meal.

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Hints, tips and variations

• You can make the salad with regular red beetroot too. Even ready cooked (but not pickled beetroots) would work well if time is short.
• For a spectacular dinner party starter, use mixed coloured beets.
• The salty Feta works particularly well in this salad but you could use other fresh cheeses, a  creamy goats cheese would be good.
• Use rocket or water cress instead of the mixed salad leaves.
• I love the crunch of the toasted hazelnuts in this dish but you could also use toasted walnuts or pecans.

To celebrate Organic September, I'm linking this recipe up to the

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