Seared beets with walnuts over wilted kale with micro greens

Some salads are meals, packed with loads of green and vegetables, these salads are both very nutritious and full of flavor.

This salad is exactly that. The seared beets add sweet notes, the kale adds earthy flavors, the feta adds salt and creaminess and the walnuts add a nuttiness that pulls it all together. Topped with a variety of micro greens (beet, mustard, radish and red cabbage), the salad is an explosion of diverse flavor on your palate.

I also wanted to give a shoutout to my new friends at Stabaka Farms for their exceptional micro greens and lettuces. Their produce defines freshness, from their farm to your table in less than 4 hours. This science driven farm does not compromise on flavor, they have sourced and grown non-GMO seeds with the best flavors in a completely pesticide-free natural environment. Each leaf pops with natural flavors, spicy mustard and radish micro greens, or sweet beet and red cabbage micro greens, you will definitely enjoy them.

This is probably my favorite Deborah Madison cookbook, and yes I do have almost all her fabulous cookbooks. The recipes, like this salad, are quite unique and full of flavors. I recommend any of her cookbooks, but this one stands out on my bookshelf.

For more delicious dished from this cookbook, click here.

Ingredients:

4-5 small beets

1 + 1 tablespoons olive oil

1 bunch kale, tough stems removed

1 clove garlic, finely minced

Sea salt, to taste

1 tablespoon aged red wine vinegar

A small handful of walnuts, lightly toasted and roughly chopped into large bits

1/2 cup feta cheese

1/2 teaspoon fennel seed, lightly toasted and crushed

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

A handful micro greens of your choice

Boil the beets till cooked, about 40-75 minutes depending on the size of the beets, but not mushy. You want the beets to have a touch of firmness when pierced with a skewer. Cool in cold water and slip off the skins. Cut the beets into wedges.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a frying pan and add the beets. Sauté on high heat till they are seared, about 10 minutes.

Rinse the kale out well. Add 1 tablespoon oil and the garlic, kale and a few pinches of salt and cook on medium heat. The water clinging to the kale will steam and cook them. When all the liquids have evaporated and the kale is tender, add the vinegar and toss well. Taste and adjust tartness and salt.

To serve, in a wide platter, layer the cooked ale at the bottom. Add the beets on top and sprinkle over the walnuts, crushed fennel seeds, oregano, feta cheese and the micro greens. Serve at room temperature.