We’re on the final countdown to the Feast (only 5 days and a bit!), and I came across this little gem from 1956 while looking for something different to do with beets – don’t go all ‘YECCCCH!’ on me – there are no beets in this dressing.
Rich’s mom, however, quite likes beets – and I don’t object to them, in their place – a friend makes a very pleasant beet relish that she serves with her roast lamb – thing is; we’re not having roast lamb, and the beet relish recipes I came across on da Google weren’t working for me at this particular place in time.
Enter our friends at epicurious.com, and my thought to search under ‘spiced beets’. This recipe was a link under ‘Salade de Bohème’ credited to House & Garden Magazine fifty-four years ago this past June. I plan on ignoring the salade recipe in favor of a combination of two I found over @ the Food Network by Paula Deen and Rachael Ray. I’m going to roast sliced canned beets, add them to a salad of romaine, red onion, walnuts, radish and celery, then toss them with my new favorite salad dressing, which, by the way, requires very little time and no special equipment to make, unless you count a blender as special equipment. I have changed the recipe (surprise!) a wee, tiny bit to suit my tastes – more onion and garlic, roasted red pepper in place of raw green pepper, half canola oil/half extra-virgin olive oil (I find that using all olive oil gives me a solid block o’ dressing after refrigeration).
INGREDIENTS
•1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
•1 cup canola oil
•1/2 cup wine vinegar – I used 3/8 cup white wine vinegar and
•1/8 cup cider vinegar
•2 tbsp granulated sugar
•1 tsp salt
•1/4 tsp pepper
•2 tbsp tomato sauce
•2 tbsp chili sauce
•1/2 tsp oregano – I used Trader Joe’s 21 Seasoning Salute and a sprinkle
of dried parsley
•1/2 roasted red pepper, sliced
•1 small onion, diced
•1 clove garlic, smashed
Combine oils and set aside.
Put all remaining ingredients into a blender and pulse to chop and blend – about one minute.
With blender running, slowly drizzle combined oils into the mixture to emulsify.
I got a pint and a half and a bit.
The original recipe notes: “This dressing is excellent for fish or vegetable salads, or for mixed greens as a piquant change from the classic French dressing. It may be prepared ahead of time, kept cold in an air-tight jar, and used as desired.”
I would note that this is a tasty little bit o’ goodness that I plan to keep in the fridge from now on.