Nuffnang

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Recipe: Beetroot Salad with toasted walnuts, and Binnorie gorgonzola cream

I was in Melbourne yesterday to speak at Bus Victoria's annual woman's lunch. My topic was our obsession with celebrity, and our loss of connection with our families and the true heroes in our communities. We also talked about climate change and how a dramatic improvement in our public transport system is urgently needed. We also drank a bit of champagne - as you do!
My Qantas flight back to Sydney was delayed for two hours. Annoying, but it gave me time to daydream about my baby beetroot waiting back home to be cooked. After reading through all your advice I decided to prepare a beetroot salad so I could experience its real taste and texture. Why tamper too much with nature?

Recipe:
1 bunch baby beetroot
a handful of beetroot leaves
100g toasted walnuts
50g Binnorie Duetto gorgonzola cream
3 tablespoons caramelised balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions:
Clean roots and any hard bits on the beetroots. Grate raw beets and toss in a bowl with olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Arrange in the centre of a dish. Top with a spoonful of gorgonzola. Sprinkle over walnuts, partially crushed, and beetroot leaves. Finish with a drizzle of vinegar and olive oil.
Verdict:
sweet, delicious, crunchy with the cheese and the vinegar adding a sharp creaminess and the walnuts giving it an earthy balance.

8 comments:

  1. A fantastic end result to your good work in the garden, Indira! I'll be giving this recipe a run for sure. It looks fabulous!

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  2. Yum! That is my kinda salad. Mouth is watering now! Looks beautiful too!

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  3. Looks very pretty! Did Qantas feed you? What was the food like? We are flying Qantas in a month to Brisbane and I hope they give us something nice!

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  4. I've always wondered how to cook beetroot, not being largely in the chinese diet that I have had ... wow, this looks amazing! The explosion of colours! WoW. Must try!

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  5. This looks really good and very pretty! I've never tried beetroot though, but I would love to try this recipe!

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  6. Oh that's a lovely combination of flavours Indira! I find the raw beetroot is 'earthy' too, and I can just imagine the walnuts and cheese especially complimenting the beetroot:) LOL MY beetroot is always colourful, but it never looks as prettily plated up as yours:)

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  7. Hi Amanda,
    Eating truly fresh produce makes you realise how supermarket chains that call themselves the Fresh Food People should call themselves 8-day-old food people. There's no comparison!Indira

    Hi Sandra,
    Beetroot is actually a relatively easy vegetable to grow I found. Next time I will just give my plants a little more room for sure! Indira

    Hi Liss,
    You probably find this too Liss with your amazing garden that it actually makes you change your diet and cooking habits. When you have such delicious fresh produce at hand a greasy burger or soggy chips isn't as appealing. You know exactly where your food has come from and what's gone into it. Indira

    Hi rachel,
    Let me warn you.... if you think a stale muffin is a meal then you won't be disappointed by a Qantas domestic economy in-flight meal! I recommend you pack your own lunch. Indira

    Hi Jo-Ann,
    never thought that beetroot wasn't really used in Chinese cooking.... but now that you mention it... I suppose even though beetroot can be cooked dozens of ways it doesn't lend itself to a traditional stir-fry! Indira

    Hi Catherine,
    Beetroot is such an essential part of a good ol' fashioned Aussie burger that you forget it's still not a common vegetable in most cultures. Hope you do give it a try soon. Indira

    Hi Coby,
    yes I thought my first beetroot deserved a MasterChef-style plate-up! Indira

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