Shaved Beet and Fennel Salad
This week has turned out drastically different than I planned. Yancey fought a huge fire on Tuesday night, which meant I had to cancel three meetings on Wednesday. Aimee's daughter fell and broke her elbow. I'm in limbo with work that may or may not be coming down the pipeline. And my dear friend Jordan's in town! I've wrangled being able to see her three times already, which has been an unexpected blessing. I reminded a friend this week that "Life is lived in the in-between times." I'm reminding myself, too. When things don't follow the nice little linear route we've laid out, we can either freak out or be present. I hope I'm getting closer to a 50/50 ratio.
Though they're more common than they used to be, raw beets are another unexpected tidbit. I love them roasted as much as the next person, but Seattle is experiencing a rare 95 degree weekend. No roasting around here. I also happen to have a mandoline, which shaves things paper-thin. I got it at a thrift store years ago, and it seems indispensable in the summer. Jenn and I were at the farmer's market last week and we both bought bunches of chioggia beets. They are stunningly gorgeous. Whenever I find them, it's impossible to resist their sprirograph trance. I advised Jenn to try them raw. She emailed me late at night, asking if there were any ailments that resulted from consuming too many beets. They are that good.
Shaved Beet and Fennel Salad
Serves two as a side dish. Wash two chioggia beets and peel them with a vegetable peeler. Wash one large or two small fennel bulbs. Using a mandolin, a very sharp knife, or a (thin!) slicing blade on a food processor, slice the beets and fennel bulb as thinly as you can. Put them in a medium bowl. Very finely chop a Thai chile or serrano chile and add it to the bowl. Sprinkle a generous amount of coarse salt over salad, squeeze half a lemon, and pour a glug of good olive oil. Gently mix with your hands. Using a vegetable peeler, shave some parmesan over the top.
August 14, 2010
Reader Comments (9)
lovely colors! we need a crunchy, refreshing salad for a cookout menu next weekend and i think this is it. although i've never seen chioggias in the area before...
cheers,
*heather*
I love beets, but never serve them raw, I always roast them, even in the 95 degree heat!
and I know the ailment that Jenn is referring to.....it happens to me all the time!
TMI.
Sarah - was such a nice surprise to see you yesterday. I forgot to mention (but thought about it all afternoon...well, not constantly, but a few times...) you looked great! Such a sweet dress and shoes. Thought about our quick conversation and relayed it to Kevin last night - the part about learning what "good" really means and that is doesn't necessarily have to be forever. We are always in the "in between times" and things certainly haven't panned out as we expected - and they might not down the road. But, we are learning to love each moment we have with this little guy. We took a bunch of photos yesterday - I will get one off to you. Love beets, by the way. When they are in season we always have some in the fridge...mmm. And fennel - double mmm. Take care.
this looks incredibly refreshing. And although it's still not cooler temps here I'm roasting a chicken. Crazy I know, but it must be done. I saw these beautiful orange beets at the Farmer's Market a couple weeks back--I think I might get a variety and make the salad. Enjoy the time with your friend Jordan--those are rare gem moments.
Beets plus Fennel equal delicious! So simple and deliciously refreshing!
What a beautiful salad! This is my first time visiting your blog - you take beautiful photos. Your recipes are great so I'm excited to keep reading!
I can't wait to get a photo in my inbox. I can't believe, with everything that must be on your mind these days, you noticed my dress and shoes. You are so sweet.
We eat this all winter, but with shaved mushrooms in place of the beets. Chioggas are so fetching.
this looks gorgeous...perfect for summer!