Sure do love farmer’s markets, don’t you? Well, when Susitna Cafe’ is on the road, we seem to find a farmer’s market just about everywhere we travel. Today we’re visiting one in Homer, Alaska USA.
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Look at all the beautiful and natural colors here today…sigh…
Oh my, look at the produce! Aren’t the colors and textures wonderful? Big sigh…
There is sooo much of nature’s wonderful bounty at farmer’s markets…it all just inspires me to make a simple and tasty salad with lots of color, texture and fresh farmer’s market taste. Won’t you join me?
Susitna Cafe’ Golden Beet and Tomato Salad
Serves 2 as a vegetarian meal or 4 as a side salad/vegetable dish
Salad Ingredients
1 cup organic baby spinach leaves
1 pound organic golden beets, peeled, boiled and sliced
2 or so assorted tomatoes, sliced (I use a variety of farmer’s market tomatoes including striped zebra tomatoes and chocolate cherry tomatoes)
2 ounces chevre cheese, sliced (I use chevre with tomato and basil, although plain or herbed chevre is fine too)
1/2 cup whole pecans, toasted (I use Whichita Pecans which have a bold pecan flavour due to their extra oils)
Dressing
2 Tablespoons organic apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon organic lemon juice, fresh squeezed
lemon peel, grated (peel from approximately 1/4 to 1/2 an organic lemon)
2 1/2 Tablespoons organic olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard (I use Grey Poupon Deli Mustard)
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Combine all of your dressing ingredients in a small mixing bowl. Whisk together and chill while you assemble the salad ingredients.
Begin assembling the salad first by placing a layer of baby spinach leaves atop a large platter. Next, add a layer of sliced golden beets on top of the spinach leaves. Next, add approximately 1/2 of your chevre slices atop the beet slices. Now add a colorful array of tomatoes. Add the remaining 1/2 of your chevre slices atop the tomatoes and smile a big smile! Sprinkle some salt and fresh ground pepper on the tomatoes. Note that the addition of a little salt on the tomatoes will bring out their wonderful flavour.
Next, spoon about 1/2 of your dressing atop the salad reserving the rest for serving on the side. Chill. Just prior to serving, sprinkle the top of of the salad with some tasty toasted pecans. So fresh, so colorful, so delicious!
Traveler’s Note: See http://www.homerfarmersmarket.org/ for more information on this delightful farmer’s market held throughout the summer in the “Land of the Midnight Sun”.
Cook’s Notes: Striped Zebra tomatoes are more acidic than most tomatoes, and they add a lemony flavour to your salad…whereas Chocolate Cherry tomatoes are a rich and flavorful addition. Red beets may be substituted in this recipe, however note that they will impart a stronger beet flavour. How about being a little creative? Just substitute the chevre with blue cheese or fresh shaved aged parmigiano reggiano…yummm!
Salmon
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