Roasted Beet, Onion, and Orange Salad

We received this recipe in our farm newsletter this past weekend and I thought I'd give it a try because I had a few weeks worth of beets in the fridge (not our favorite). It was a little time consuming but a good weekend project.

I thought the oranges would offset the strong beet flavor really well, and it really did. I kept the salad in the fridge for a few days and ate it along with lunch. Of course the kids didn't try it but they watched me eat it (a good thing, right?)!

Recipe courtesy Michael Chiarello

Ingredients

* 1 pound beets, preferably very small ones
* 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
* Salt and freshly ground pepper
* 20 large pearl onions, about 1/2 pound
* 2 oranges, peeled and cut into wedges
* 2 tablespoons hazelnut oil
* 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh coriander leaves (also known as cilantro) plus extra for garnish
* 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
* 2 tablespoons hazelnuts, toasted and peeled (I omitted)
* 1-ounce pecorino, optional, grated on medium-sized holes of box grater

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut the stems and tails off the beets. Do not peel. Line the bottom of a baking pan with foil. Place the beets in the pan and toss them with half of the olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 25 minutes.

Trim both ends off the pearl onions. Then toss them with remaining olive oil and salt and pepper. Add pearl onions to the beets and roast an additional 15 minutes, until beets and onions are tender.

Peel and remove the membranes from the oranges with a sharp paring knife. Cut the oranges in half lengthwise and then crosswise into thin slices. Seed the slices, if necessary.

Peel and quarter the beets. Lay the beets on a large platter. Top the beets with the orange pieces. Scatter the roasted onions around the beats.

In a medium bowl, combine the hazelnut oil, coriander, and orange juice. Whisk until well combined and season with salt and pepper.

Drizzle the dressing on top and sprinkle with coriander, toasted hazelnuts and grated cheese. Serve immediately.