One of the best and worst perks of working in my office is the free food. Aside from the free Kind bars and weird-temperature bananas, not a day goes by without an email advertising “free snacks in the kitchen” or “extra sandwiches in conference room X.” And then there are the events: the occasional wellness smoothie eclipsed by make-your-own ice cream sandwiches, gourmet Rice Krispie treats and giant vats of the richest, most amazing hot chocolate on Earth. I can pass on the deli sandwiches often enough, but I draw the line at City Bakery.
A few weeks ago, there was a full-on spread from a Greek place nearby. Though I had already started eating my own lunch, I sprinted casually moseyed over to the gyros and pita sandwiches and spinach pies and … got distracted by salad. WEIRD, I know. But there sat a kale salad where the leaves were chopped so finely that they were almost feathery, tossed with crumbles of salty, tangy feta and sweet-tart cranberries. And then, right next to it, was a beet salad so bright and pink that I couldn’t resist.
While the two salads started as separate on my plate, upon eating them I realized that the earthy, sweet beets mellowed out the bitterness of the kale so nicely that really, the two should have been combined from the start. But Mama Gyro doesn’t sell them that way, so I decided to take on the challenge myself.
Turns out, it’s not a challenge at all. The hardest part of the salad is peeling the roasted beets, and by that I mean scrubbing the pinkness off of your hands afterwards. Other than that, there’s little work involved, and the reward is a gloriously colorful salad that is packed with flavor. Who knew free food could be so inspiring?
Roasted Beet and Kale Salad
– 3 bunches baby beets, stems removed and dirt brushed off
– 1/2 tablespoon + 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
– 1/2 teaspoon dried dill
– juice of half a lemon
– 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
– 1 bunch kale, stems removed and leaves chopped finely
– 3 ounces feta crumbles
– salt and pepper, to taste
– 2 tablespoons pepitas or dried cranberries or both (optional)
1) Roast the beets: Preheat the oven to 400F. Toss the baby beets with 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil, dill, salt and pepper, then place them in the center of a large sheet of tin foil. Wrap the tin foil around the beets to form a pouch. Roast for 20-25 minutes, until the beets are fork-tender. Unwrap the beets and set aside to cool, then peel them. (Get ready for mad beet hands.)
2) While the beets are roasting, in a large bowl, stir together the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil with the balsamic vinegar, lemon, salt and pepper until well mixed. Add the kale and toss to coat thoroughly, using your hands to massage the dressing into the kale leaves. Set aside for 10 minutes.
3) Once the beets are peeled, quarter them. Then toss with the kale, feta and pepitas/cranberries and serve.
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