This month, Delicious and Simple visited Hall’s Organic Farm, a 5-acre farm located within a plot of land owned by the Agriculture and Land-Based Training Association, or ALBA as it is widely known. ALBA provides educational and business opportunities for farm workers and aspiring farmers to grow and sell crops grown on two organic farms in Monterey County, California. Hall’s Organic Farm, owned by Stevie Hall and maintained by friend Alex Montenegro is one of several plots on this land, his being one of the most successful.
After learning of Hall’s multiple varieties of beets, Heidi couldn’t pass up working with these colorful and nutritious root. Beets are packed full of vitamins and minerals such as potassium, magnesium, fiber, phosphorus, iron, vitamins A, B & C, beta-carotene, beta-cyanine and folic acid, to name a few. Beets also are incredible natural detoxifiers of the body, which assists your body in cleansing the liver and blood of toxins that build up from simply living day to day. These incredible roots also contain a substance known as betaine, the same substance that is used in certain treatments of depression. It also contains tryptophan, which relaxes the mind and creates a sense of well-being, similar to chocolate.
Heidi decided to roast the beets and use them in an arugula salad with a maple vinaigrette that pairs perfectly with the freshness of the produce. And the best part? You can try out the recipe yourself!
Step 1: Maple Vinaigrette Dressing
Ingredients:
- 2-3 tsp. Maple syrup
- 4 tsp. White granulated sugar
- 2 heaping tbsp. Shallots, finely chopped
- ½ cup Extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup Apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
Directions:
- Add all ingredients to a clean mason jar.
- Refrigerate.
- Shake well before using.
Step 2: Candied Walnuts
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ tbsp. Butter
- 2 tbsp. White granulated sugar
- 1 tsp. Maple syrup
- ½ cup Walnuts, raw
Directions:
- In a small pan over medium heat, combine all ingredients.
- Stir continuously until mixture bubbles, then reduce heat to medium-low.
- Continue to stir until mixture thickens and caramelizes.
- Pour mixture into a pan lined with parchment paper.
- Create a single layer of walnuts, then allow to cool completely.
- Once mixture has cooled and hardened, chop walnuts to small pieces.
Step 3: Roasted Beets
Ingredients:
- 7 Red beets
- 5 Gold beets
- 3 Chioggia beets
- Olive oil
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Cover a baking sheet with foil.
- Clean beets, then cut off both ends.
- Place each beet on to piece of foil, enough to fully wrap beet.
- Drizzle a small amount of olive oil on top of each beet, then seal each pouch as to prevent steam from escaping.
- Place on baking sheet and bake 40 - 50 minutes, or until tender enough to be pierced easily with a fork. Remove from oven.
- Cool beets until just able to handle, then remove skin.
- Hold flat end sturdily with a fork, then using a spoon, scrape skin from top to bottom. Skin will remove easily. Discard skin.
- Cool beets completely.
- Cut into ¾ inch pieces, then refrigerate until ready to assemble salad.
Step 4: Assembling the Salad
Ingredients:
- Beets, pre-baked and cut
- 4 cups Arugula
- ½ cup Fennel, finely sliced using a mandolin
- ¼ cup Crumbled feta cheese
- 1 Medium-sized red tomato, diced small
- Candied walnuts
- Flat leaf parsley or cilantro, for garnish
Directions:
- In a large serving bowl, add each ingredient in order as follows: arugula, beets, fennel, tomato, feta cheese, candied walnuts, parsley (or cilantro).
- Before serving, shake maple vinaigrette and drizzle desired amount over salad.
- Serve.
You can visit Hall's Organic Farms website by clicking here,
or
You can learn more about ALBA by clicking here.
