Stone Fruit and Beet Salad
This recipe came together on a whim for me. The perfectly ripe plums sitting on my counter were calling to me, and I'd already boiled a pound of yellow beets earlier that week that I'd planned to but never got around to pickling. The ginger should really be minced, rather than grated. Grating ginger is great* trick when you want a lot of ginger flavor diffuse throughout your entire dish. But by mincing the ginger, you end up with little, shocking bursts of ginger flavor that burst in your mouth as you chew.
*see what I did there?
Stone Fruit and Beet Salad
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Category
Salads
Servings
4-6
Ingredients
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1 pound golden beets
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1 cup Timeless Seeds Purple Barley
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2 ripe plums, pluots, apricots, or other stone fruit
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4 ounces goat chevre
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1/2 cup toasted, chopped almonds
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5 ounces arugula
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1/4 cup lime juice
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1/4 cup maple syrup
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1 tablespoon Ritrovo Aged Balsamic Vinegar, plus more for serving
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1 teaspoon finely minced fresh ginger
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1 tablespoon olive oil
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Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For The Salad
For The Dressing
Directions
Place the beets in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to a simmer and simmer for about 30-60 minutes or until they can be easily pierced all the way through with a sharp knife (cooking time will depend on the size of your beets). Drain and allow to cool completely. Slip the skins off the beets and cut them in half. Cut each half into very thin slices. Set aside.
Make the dressing: in a small bowl, combine the lime juice, maple syrup, balsamic vinegar and ginger. While whisking, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Continue to whisk until the dressing is well combined. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Meanwhile, cook the barley. Add the barley and 2 1/2 cups water to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 45 minutes. The barley should still have a nice chewy texture when done. If cooked too long, it will fall apart and make the salad mooshy. Drain the barley and toss with half the dressing and set aside to cool.
Assemble the salad: pit and slice the stone fruit very thinly. Add the remaining dressing, stone fruit, sliced beets, goat cheese, and almonds to the bowl with the barley and toss to combine. Fold in small handfuls of arugula a little at a time until all the arugula is added.
To serve, add a drizzle of Ritrovo Aged Balsamic Vinegar and a sprinkle of Maldon Flake Sea Salt for extra flavor. This salad will keep in the fridge for up to 2 days. The arugula can be added just before serving to keep it fresh and crisp if making ahead of time.
Recipe Note
I used plums in my salad, but I have a particular penchant for pluots. Chef Lisa suggested apricots, but I really love the color contrast between the yellow beets and the purple plums. Yellow beets also have a much milder flavor that purple beets, but if you're a full on beet-fan, feel free to change the recipe up to use your favorite variety! The aged balsamic vinegar is a MUST. The watery stuff from the grocery store is too acidic and lacks body. It will overpower the salad without adding much flavor.