Gray Farms' beets are earthy and sweet; their fennel is anise-forward and crisp. Together with the brightness of San Gabriel Ranch mandarins and a lemon vinaigrette, this is a salad that actually tastes like something — not a side dish you eat out of obligation.
Ingredients
1 lb mixed beets (red, Chioggia, gold) — roasted and peeled
1 large fennel bulb with fronds
2 Murcott mandarins, peeled and segmented
2 oz Prairie Fruits chèvre, crumbled
¼ cup fennel fronds, roughly torn
2 tbsp scallions, thinly sliced
Citrus vinaigrette:
3 tbsp fresh mandarin or orange juice
1 tbsp Eureka lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp Pittman's maple syrup
3 tbsp good olive oil
Salt and pepper
Instructions
Roast the beets. Preheat oven to 400°F. Wrap beets individually in foil and roast until a knife slides in easily, 35–45 minutes depending on size. Let cool, then rub off skins with a paper towel. Slice into wedges or rounds. Keep colors separate if possible — gold and Chioggia beets will bleed into red ones.
Shave the fennel. Using a mandoline or sharp knife, slice fennel bulb paper-thin. Soak in ice water for 10 minutes to crisp it up, then drain and pat dry.
Make the vinaigrette. Whisk together citrus juices, lemon zest, maple syrup, and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. It should be bright and slightly sweet.
Assemble. Arrange beet wedges on a platter. Pile shaved fennel on top. Scatter mandarin segments, scallions, and chèvre. Drizzle generously with vinaigrette. Finish with fennel fronds and a crack of black pepper.
Make-ahead note: Roast the beets and make the vinaigrette up to 3 days ahead. Shave the fennel day-of.
Farms in this recipe: Gray Farms Organics (beets, fennel), San Gabriel Ranch (mandarins, lemon), Prairie Fruits Farm (chèvre), Fruitful Hill Farm (scallions), Pittman's Maple Syrup
