Recipe: Beet and pear salad with (or without) walnuts

Shannon Beigert

Fresh beets are readily available this time of year in Thurston County.

They are delicious baked, but can be a bit messy in the preparation. I thoroughly wash my beets, trimming any remaining tops and roots. Then I bake them in a shallow baking pan at 350 degrees until they are easily pierced with a fork. Then I let them cool, put on nitrile gloves, and peel, then slice, them.

That is the first step in making pear and beet salad with walnuts. Here's how: 

Ingredients

3-4 fresh beets, cooked and diced, see above.
3-4 ripe pears, peeled, seeded and diced (I like to use bosc pears, because they are sturdy, and do not dissolve into the salad)
0ne-half cup of walnut pieces
One head or package of Bibb or butter lettuce, washed and dried
One-fourth of a cup of olive oil
One-fourth of a cup of balsamic vinegar
One tablespoon of Dijon mustard

Instructions

Mix the beets, pears, and walnuts together. Line salad plates with lettuce.

Combine the olive oil, balsamic vinegar and Dijon mustard until well combined.

Add dressing to the beet mixture until ingredients are covered. Place servings on the bed of lettuce on each salad plate. Serves 6.

Enjoy!

Shannon Beigert is a chef and baker who loves to entertain guests at her Olympia home. If you want to let her know that this recipe worked well for you, send her a note at  shannon@theJOLTnews.com