‘Twas the day after Christmas, and all through the house, every kitty was sleeping, and so was Andy’s spouse! Well, I was almost asleep. I must admit, about an hour ago I did kind of drift off a bit as I was reading. But I was awakened by a powerful sawing noise emanating from our kitchen. Mr. C. had taken it upon himself to liberate the remaining ham from its bone. And the smoked turkey from its carcass. I mean really. What a guy! I’d gladly wake up to that kind of noise any day of the week. I quickly thanked him and asked that he save the ham bone for soup later this week. He immediately agreed as he too loves Navy bean Soup. (And yes, the recipe is on this site.) Anyway, now that I was awake, I decided to start a loaf of sourdough bread, and while I was at it, start writing up this post so that I could share this recipe with you.

I truly love a good salad. And I have to say, this salad is wildly delicious. And the great part, besides the flavors of course, is that you can roast the beets, prepare the dressing, and candy the pecans well in advance. So then just before serving, all you need to do is place some arugula on a plate, platter, or shallow bowl, sprinkle on some beets, drizzle on some dressing, crumble on some feta cheese, and garnish with candied pecans. So, the final assembly takes about 3 minutes.

Now granted, this is not going to be an everyday salad in our home. I don’t always have roasted beets and candied pecans lying around. But I see no reason not to make this simple dressing over and over again, and there is almost always feta cheese in our refrigerator. So, a simpler version with just arugula or spinach, feta, and this dressing is going to be served a lot here at Chez Carr. It is just a heavenly combination of flavors. Much like our beloved Argentinian Remolacha. (Yes, that recipe is on this site too.)

Well dear friends, I’m going to make this a short post. My wing-back reading chair is beckoning. And if I’m lucky, I’ll get a couple chapters in before the sand man comes to visit. May the joy of this holiday season be with you and yours. Happy New Year.

For the Salad:

baby arugula preferably, but baby spinach or mixed greens make a good substitute

diced roasted beets (see recipe below)

Balsamic Vinegar Dressing

feta or chèvre, crumbled

candied pecans (see recipe below) or toasted plain pecan halves 

This salad can be made to size. For the two of us, I start by spreading a layer of arugula on about a 9-inch plate. Then I throw on a few beets, followed by a healthy drizzle of the dressing. Then top with the crumbled feta and garnished (liberally) with candied pecans. Serve immediately.

Balsamic Vinegar Dressing:

⅓ c. extra virgin olive oil

¼ c. good balsamic vinegar 

1 T. Dijon mustard (I use Maille brand Rich and Creamy Dijon Mustard Blend)

1½ T. honey

1 T. finely minced shallot

½ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

In a small bowl or jar, whisk or shake the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, mustard, honey, minced shallot, salt, and pepper together. Taste and adjust seasoning. Dressing can be made ahead.

Oven Roasted Beets

2 med. sized beets

2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

Remove the tops and the roots of the beets and peel with a vegetable peeler. Cut the beets in bite sized pieces. Place on a baking sheet and toss with the olive oil and sprinkle lightly with kosher salt and pepper. Roast in a pre-heated 400-degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes, turning once or twice with a spatula, until the beets are just tender. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Set aside.

Rudi’s Rosemary and Maker’s Mark Pecans

2 T. unsalted butter

2 tsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary

½ tsp. kosher salt

½ tsp. ground chili pepper

1 T. brown sugar, packed

1 T. Maker’s Mark bourbon

2 c. pecan halves

Melt butter in a small frying pan. Add the chopped fresh rosemary, salt, chili powder, brown sugar, and bourbon. Stir to combine. Add the pecans and stir to coat.

Bake in a single layer on a parchment paper lined baking sheet in a pre-heated 375-degree oven for 13-17 minutes, or until the nuts darken a bit and become fragrant. Stir halfway through the baking time. (Watch carefully. They burn easily.)

Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.