It was a birthday surprise for her husband, so she had already prepared most of the ingredients (roasted beets, whipped up dressings, etc) - and had ordered some amazing pizzas from two great pizzerias in Mill Valley.
We picked up the pizza in town, before heading up the steep hill to Jasmine & Frank's amazing garden cottage for a great late lunch outside (scroll down for photos of the birthday) ...
the ingredients.
4 small beets, trimmed (red or yellow)
1 tsp olive oil
coarse or kosher salt
4 large handfuls lamb’s lettuce, stems trimmed and washed or mesclun nix (Jasmine used a great mix of lettuces from the Ferrybuilding's farmer’s market)
5 oz soft fresh goat’s milk cheese
1 ½ tbs thinly sliced chives
freshly ground black pepper
the dressing.
½ tsp Dijon mustard
coarse or kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp red wine vinegar
2 Tlbs olive oil
Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
In a roasting pan, toll the beets with the olive oil and a little salt. Roast in the heated over until tender, 40 to 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. Peel the beets and cut each beet in half through the root. Slice each half into 4 wedges. Set aside.
Place the lettuce in a large bowl.
Make the dressing: In a small bowl whisk the mustard, salt, pepper, and vinegar. Pour in the olive oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly until it emulsifies and thickens.
Prepare the cheese: In a small bowl, crumble the cheese into small pieces. Season with freshly ground black pepper. Add the chives and toss until well blended (the chives and pepper should stick to the cheese.)
Pour the dressing over the lettuce and toss to coat.
4 small beets, trimmed (red or yellow)
1 tsp olive oil
coarse or kosher salt
4 large handfuls lamb’s lettuce, stems trimmed and washed or mesclun nix (Jasmine used a great mix of lettuces from the Ferrybuilding's farmer’s market)
5 oz soft fresh goat’s milk cheese
1 ½ tbs thinly sliced chives
freshly ground black pepper
the dressing.
½ tsp Dijon mustard
coarse or kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp red wine vinegar
2 Tlbs olive oil
Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
In a roasting pan, toll the beets with the olive oil and a little salt. Roast in the heated over until tender, 40 to 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. Peel the beets and cut each beet in half through the root. Slice each half into 4 wedges. Set aside.
Place the lettuce in a large bowl.
Make the dressing: In a small bowl whisk the mustard, salt, pepper, and vinegar. Pour in the olive oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly until it emulsifies and thickens.
Prepare the cheese: In a small bowl, crumble the cheese into small pieces. Season with freshly ground black pepper. Add the chives and toss until well blended (the chives and pepper should stick to the cheese.)
Pour the dressing over the lettuce and toss to coat.
Spread the beet wedges and sprinkle the cheese evenly over each salad.
Jasmine finished the salad with a sprinkling of fresh wasabi micro greens - which added a nice new flavor edge to a a great summer salad ...
(recipe adapted from Amanda Hesser's book “The Cook and the Gardener”)
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