SALAD DAYS AHEAD

Although it is still bitterly cold here in Minnesota and warm comfort foods are what helps get us through the long cold days, today I had the urge for a nice salad. For once the temperature was above freezing, just, but this was for the first time in a month! The sun was shining and it was easy to think spring is around the corner. It will be a couple of months before that happens, but I wasn't going to let this spoil my good mood.

Now to the salad. What would it be? I had some spinach in the fridge and some beets I had roasted a few days earlier. I would add a segmented orange, find some pecans which I was sure were lurking in the pantry, also I was pretty sure there was a goats cheese in the fridge. The only oranges I had were blood oranges but that was fine by me. So I now had all the makings of a beet and spinach salad. I collected all the ingredients, fortunately everything was there, and I put them all together. With a light red wine vinegar dressing lunch was ready in a few minutes. A tasty fast lunch which would fulfill my salad craving.

I love the flavour of the earthy beets and when combined with the sweetness of the orange, the crunch of the pecans and the soft cheese it makes a delightful combination of textures and flavours.


I have also made this salad with a warm goats cheese,which is really delicious. I breadcrumb rounds of cheese and saute them before putting them on the salad. The warm melting cheese is a nice contrast to the cool salad leaves.

I really enjoyed my lunch today and look forward to warmer days when salads will once again be a daily occurrence and I can put away the crock pot and casserole dishes for a while.


TO HAPPY SALAD DAYS AHEAD