From the menu of … Harbour House Pub, 129 Church Street, Decatur; 404-371-0088; www.harbourdecatur.com
Q: Several friends and I had lunch this week at Harbour House Pub on Church Street in Decatur. The three of us shared the roasted beet, goat cheese, Granny Smith apple salad with a delicious orange-shallot dressing. It was our appetizer, and we loved it! We would be thrilled if the chef at Harbour House Pub would share the salad and dressing recipe. I know others would enjoy it, too! Thank you. — Kathy Corbett, Decatur
A: Chef Christian Speigal sent this recipe, created when he was thinking about ways to bring out the sweetness of beets. "I achieved this by using honey in the braising liquid and in the dressing. I wanted to showcase how beets could be rediscovered as a real tasty treat. I feel a number of people had beets as a kid and have grown up thinking they all taste like they have come from a can. I wanted to change that."
Speigal hit all the flavor notes and provided a variety of textures by matching the beets with crisp apples, tangy goat cheese, crunchy walnuts and a slightly sweet and creamy herb dressing. He calls it “one happy marriage.”
Harbour House Pub’s Fuji Apple and Honey Cider Braised Beet Salad
Speigal suggests saving the braising liquid and reducing it down to serve as a salad dressing or to make a tangy ice cream topping.
4 medium beets (about 2 1/2 pounds), trimmed, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
3 cups water
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup honey
8 ounces mixed field greens
2 Fuji apples, quartered, cored and thinly sliced
1 cup Citrus-Herb Vinaigrette (see recipe)
1 cup crumbled goat cheese
1/2 cup walnuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Have a 2-quart baking dish ready.
Arrange beets in baking dish.
In a large saucepan, combine water, vinegar and honey. Bring to a boil. Pour over beets. Cover the baking dish and place in oven. Bake 45 minutes or until the beets are fork tender. Remove from oven and allow to cool in braising liquid. Set aside.
In a large bowl, toss field greens with apples. Toss with vinaigrette and arrange on a large serving platter.
Drain beets and arrange over greens and apples. Discard cooking liquid or see note for another use. Top with goat cheese.
Arrange walnuts in a dry skillet and toast over medium heat until they just begin to brown. Allow to cool slightly and then crush by hand and arrange over salad. Serve additional vinaigrette on the side, if desired. Serves: 6
Per serving: 561 calories (percent of calories from fat, 48), 12 grams protein, 66 grams carbohydrates, 9 grams fiber, 32 grams fat (6 grams saturated), 20 milligrams cholesterol, 186 milligrams sodium.
Citrus-Herb Vinaigrette
1 cup canola oil
1/2 cup tightly packed chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
4 green onions, roughly chopped
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
2 tablespoons capers
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic
Sea salt and black pepper
In the jar of a blender, combine oil, basil, vinegar, orange juice, green onions, honey, parsley, capers, mustard and garlic. Blend until smooth and emulsified. Taste for seasoning. May be made ahead and refrigerated up to 3 days. Makes: 2 1/4 cups
Per 2-tablespoon serving: 122 calories (percent of calories from fat, 87), trace protein, 4 grams carbohydrates, trace fiber, 12 grams fat (1 gram saturated), no cholesterol, 17 milligrams sodium.
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