Heirloom Tomato & Roasted Beet Salad With Goat Cheese Crumbles
In just a week from today, we will be heading back to Umbria, Italy for a three-month stay at our stone farmhouse. We will be in Italy for just over a week before some of our family arrives, and we plan on doing quite a bit of traveling with them. Since I want to enjoy their visit, I am working hard to schedule some recipes ahead of time. In fact, this recipe is planned to be posted later in September when I am visiting Puglia with my husband, my brother-in-law and his girlfriend.
Now that our Italian travel date is getting closer, I am really looking forward to getting back to Italy and our home there. Although I will miss our family and my chickens here, I know my daughter and her family will take good care of my hens so I can go to Italy knowing that I am leaving them in good hands.
Our garden is just a year old, so we are just learning the best plants to grow in our area. We did plant a wide variety of tomatoes, including some gorgeous heirloom tomatoes and our tomatoes are thriving in our raised garden beds. We are absolutely gorging ourselves on ripe tomatoes picked while still warm from the garden this summer since our growing season is so limited.
Soon we will be limited to months of flavorless grocery store tomatoes, so we want to enjoy these delicious tomatoes while we can. I have made just about every version of tomato salad that you can think of recently, but this salad combining roasted beets with heirloom tomatoes has become one of our favorites. I could easily enjoy this salad for dinner as my main course, served along with some crusty Italian bread.
There is just something addictive about the combination of earthy, sweet beets, ripe, full-flavored tomatoes and creamy goat cheese that makes this salad irresistible. You could also serve this salad on a bed of greens, or top the salad with some cooked grains such as barley or farro or sliced grilled chicken breast to create a heartier salad if you prefer.
Buon Appetito!
Deborah Mele
Heirloom Tomato & Beet Salad with Goat Cheese Crumbles
Earthy roasted beets and full-flavored heirloom tomatoes are a perfect combination in this delicious salad.
Ingredients
- 2 Medium Red Beets
- 2 Medium Golden Beets
- 4 Medium to Large Heirloom Tomatoes
- 1/2 Cup Halved Cherry Tomatoes
To Serve:
- 3/4 Cup Goat Cheese Crumbles
- 3 Tablespoons Finely Chopped Fresh Parsley
- 2 Tablespoons Finely Chopped Fresh Mint Leaves
- 1/3 Cup Lightly Toasted Pine Nuts
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Aged Balsamic Vinegar
- Salt & Pepper To Taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees, and place the beets on a foil lined baking sheet.
- Roast the beets until fork tender, about 45 minutes to an hour.
- Cool to room temperature, then peel and slice the beets.
- Arrange the beets and tomatoes on a platter, then sprinkle the goat cheese crumbles, parsley, mint, and pine nuts in top.
- Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
- Season liberally with salt and pepper then serve.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 270Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 318mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 3gSugar: 9gProtein: 12g
