Suddenly, summer has arrived, just in time for the long holiday weekend. The sun is hot, the air is thick and steamy. The owlets have found their wings and moved deeper into the woods. We can hear, but no longer see them. I’m hoping they are safe and comfortable in their new leafy canopy.

My herbs are happy, except the basil, which suffered from a chill one night last week. And the wild garlic is fat and juicy. I couldn’t resist pulling some on my rainy 5 mile run the other day. I carried the long stalks for 3 miles; it was worth the trouble!

The Warwick Valley Farmer’s Market is in full swing. I was busy being dr deb this weekend, giving a talk at the library for Family Central about Parenting, Teens, and Sex. Bob offered to do the market run and I accepted graciously. He bought a beautiful bunch of beets. We adore beets! I decided to roast them and make this wonderful herby salad for you. I think you’ll love it!

Have you ever tried roasted beets? My method results in tender, sweet, jewel-like morsels of deliciousness. They are easy to peel, and a true treat. Try this salad with all of the different varieties of beets you find at the market.

And, just in case you need a serving dish for your Roasted Beet Salad, the Etsy Store is now open! I’d love it if you’d take a look and let me know what you think! Just follow the Shop link in the Menu bar above.

Roasted Beet Salad

This should serve 4 as a first course or side dish. It is vegan, paleo, and gluten free.

1 bunch beets (3 large, or 4 medium), trimmed and scrubbed
2 tbs. olive oil
1 tbs. balsamic glaze or syrup*
¼ cup toasted walnuts
¼ cup minced herbs (dill, chives, tarragon, verbena, parsley, basil…)**
salt and pepper, to taste

optional: 2 fat cloves garlic, or 2 bulbs wild garlic (shown here)

*I buy balsamic syrup. If you can’t find any, boil balsamic vinegar until reduced and the consistency of maple syrup.

**I used tarragon, lemon verbena, garlic chives, and parsley here.

Preheat oven to 425. Place two sheets of aluminum foil in a shallow bowl and arrange the beets and garlic, if using, on the foil. Drizzle with 1 tbs. of the olive oil, salt and pepper.

Place the foil package in a baking sheet and roast for 1 hour or until you can feel that the beets have softened. Remove from oven, carefully open the foil, and let the beets cool until you can handle them.

The best way to peel roasted beets is by rubbing them with a paper towel. The skin should slide right off. Cut each peeled beet in eighths and place in a serving bowl. If you roasted garlic, squeeze the now soft cloves out over the beets. Drizzle with the balsamic, remaining 1 tbs. oil, herbs, and nuts, salt and pepper. Toss gently. Serve warm, room temp, or cold.

Variations: Add cheese. Parm ribbons, crumbled blue, goat, or feta are great. Some chunks of mozzarella or sharp cheddar are also great. You may use pistachios, pepitas, or almonds instead of the walnuts. If you like a little extra sweetness, a drizzle of honey, agave, or Herb Infused Syrup is welcome, especially if you’ve included cheese in your salad.

This post is dedicated to my beautiful mother, Judith Bernstein. Please join me in wishing her all the love in the world today, her 80th birthday!