Sunroot Gardens

Chervil is a winter-hardy herb that likes to self-seed. It grows on its own in my front yard every spring. The flavor is a cross between parsley and fennel—an anise-like sweetness and potent green taste that create an astonishing alchemy with sweet and earthy beets. I like Chioggia beets in this dish because their pink-and-white stripes are cute and springlike and don’t stain the rest of the salad like red beets would. Yellow beets would also work perfectly here. And Sunroot Gardens greens in all their glorious variety and pungency make this salad unlike anything you can get from a store.

About 1 ½ pounds of Chioggia (striped) beets—2 very large, 6 medium, 12 small
4 cups salad greens, such as small leaves of red mustard, red russian kale, arugula, mizuna, lettuce, etc.
½ cup toasted walnut pieces

Dressing:
1 small shallot, minced, about 2 tablespoons (or use onion)
¼ cup fresh chervil, chopped
1 teaspoon mustard (grainy or dijon)
2 tablespoons vinegar, such as sherry, red wine, or apple cider
3 tablespoons walnut oil (or use olive oil)
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar (or a drop of sweetener like honey, agave, or sugar)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Steam-roast the beets by washing them, poking each one a few times with a knife, and wrapping each one completely in heavy-duty aluminum foil. Place the wrapped beets on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 45 minutes to 1 ½ hours, depending on how large they are. When the beets are done, they will feel tender when pierced with a knife, and their skins will slip off easily.

Meanwhile, toast the walnuts while the oven is hot—about five to ten minutes should do it. When they smell fragrant and are just a shade darker in color, pull them out and let them cool.

Make the dressing: whisk together the oil, vinegars, and mustard until emulsified, then stir in the chervil and shallot. Set aside until the beets are done.

Wash the greens: I usually put them in a big bowl of cold water, mix them around for a minute, and then let them sit for five minutes to let the dirt settle to the bottom of the bowl. This also refreshes the greens if they are a little wilted (although with very delicate greens like mache and tender baby lettuces it can make them soggy). Then I lift the greens out of the water without stirring up the water (don’t want to get that dirt back on your greens!) and dry them in a salad spinner. Use the dirty water to water your plants!

Unwrap the beets and peel them by rubbing off the skins with your fingers under cold running water. Use a knife if you need to, but usually the skins come right off if the beets are cooked this way. Chop them into ¾ inch cubes. Toss the beets with the dressing and let sit for a few minutes or until you are ready to eat. (They can marinate for a few hours or overnight with no problem!) Just before eating, toss the greens with the beets and sprinkle the walnuts on top.