Beet, Mango, & Belgian Endive Salad

Beets are best friends with just about any kind of fruit that there is; the strong earthy flavour contrasting and supporting the tart acidity of fruit, and the sweetness of both intermingling. Juicy lettuce, slightly bitter Belgian endive, and the crunch of nuts make for a very well-rounded salad. Yes, the mango comes from away, but sometimes you just gotta. 

2 to 4 servings
15 minutes prep time plus 1 hour to cook beets

Cook the Beets:
2 or 3 medium beets

Wash them and trim off any stems, but don't cut the roots. Put them in a pot with water to cover them generously, and bring them to a boil. Boil them for 40 minutes to an hour, until easily pierced with a fork. Drain them and let them cool.

Make the Salad:
3 cups torn-up hydroponic lettuce
1 large head Belgian endive
1 large ripe mango
1/3 cup chopped nuts of your choice

Wash and tear up (or chop) the lettuce and the endive. Mix them in the salad bowl.

Peel the beets and cut them in slices; arrange them over the greens. Peel the mango and cut two thick slices off along each flat side of the pit, which face the two wider sides of the mango. Cut them into smaller slices, and slice off the remaining mango flesh from the pit. Discard the pit and arrange all the mango slices over the salad. Sprinkle the salad with the chopped nuts.

Make the Dressing:
1/4 teaspoon anise seeds
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/4 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 tablespoons walnut or other nut oil
the juice of 1/2 lemon
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Grind the anise and coriander seeds, and put them in a small bowl or jam jar with the salt and pepper. Add the nut oil, lemon juice, and mustard. Stir or shake until well blended. Drizzle over the salad.





Last year at this time I made Apples Baked in Lemon-Anise Custard.

Posted in: Ontario Food