Roasted Beet and Grapefruit Salad with Belgian Endive and Candied Pecans

Oh what lovely combination of sweet and sour. The pleasure of this salad comes from combining the sour or bitter greens and grapefruit with the sweet roasted beets and candied pecans.

Ingredients:

for the salad:

• 5-6 medium beet
• 2 pink grapefruit
• 1/2 cup candied pecans (see below)
• 2 Belgian endive
• handful rucola
• handful watercress

for the dressing

• 3 tablespoons olive or walnut oil
• 1/4 cup berry vinegar (raspberry, blackberry etc.)
• 2 tablespoons berry syrup or agave syrup
• 2 teaspoons mild mustard
• pinch salt and pepper

for the candied pecans:

• 2 tablespoons maple syrup or agave
• 1 tablespoon sugar

Directions:

to make the candied pecans:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 F / 163 C.
2. Put the syrup in a bowl and add the pecans stir to mix well.
3. Place the pecans on a cookie sheet prepared with baking parchment or silicone baking sheet.
4. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes.
5. Remove from the oven and turn the pecans out onto a non-stick baking parchment or a 2nd silicone baking sheet. Make sure the pecans are not sticking to each other.
6. Allow to cool and harden.

to make beet chips:

1. Use 1 beet to make beet chips.
2. Wash and peel that beet.
3. Slice very thinly with a mandolin.
4. Place on an oiled cookie sheet.
5. Spray the beets on the sheet with oil and sprinkle with
6. Sprinkle with salt and place in a preheated oven at 325 F / 163 C to bake for 10 minutes.
7. Turn the beet chips over and bake for another 10 minutes.
8. When they come out of the oven, they will still be soft but will crisp up as they cool.

to roast the beets:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F / 190 C .
2. Scrub the beets well. I prefer to peel them as they have a more consistent surface when they have been peeled.
3. Place the beets in a baking dish and drizzle olive oil over the surface of the beets.
4. Place a lid or aluminum foil on top and bake in the oven for 40-60 minutes (in the meantime continue with the other ingredients).
5. At 25 minutes stir and turn the beets. Perhaps also prick one and test for done-ness.
6. When the beets are done, remove from the oven and allow to cool.

to prepare the other salad ingredients:

1. Wash the Belgian endive and slice the bottom end off. This will make it easier to separate each of the leaves.
2. Wash the rucola and remove the long stems.
3. Wash the watercress and separate the individual leaves.
4. Prepare the grapefruits.
5. Slice each end from the grapefruit and then slice the rind or skin from around the grapefruit, as you do an apple.
6. Cut the sections of the grapefruit from the grapefruit, being careful to have as many whole sections as possible and not break them.

to make the salad:

1. Arrange a few Belgian endive leaves on each plate.
2. Ad a few rucola leaves and watercress leaves.
3. If the beets are small, place a beet or 2 on each plate. If the beets are larger, you will want to halve or quarter the beets, giving each plate 2-4 pieces.
4. Place 4 or 5 grapefruit sections around on the plate and sprinkle a few pecans here and there.
5. Make the dressing by mixing the ingredients together and pouring into a carafe.
6. Sprinkle a bit of dressing on the salad, or serve the salad with the dressing in a carafe for individuals to help themselves.

Notes:

Roasting the beets brings out a sweetness that enhances this recipe.