Red and Orange Root Salad

Derf's Note:

This is a beautiful salad, pretty presentation and delicious too. I like the variation method with the carrots--they look so nice in thin ribbons. From the local newspaper.

• Total Time: 55 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 3 medium carrots , peeled, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves , smashed
• 2 orange rind twists
• 1⁄3; cup water, chicken broth or 1⁄3; cup vegetable broth
• 2 medium beets , cooked, peeled, sliced thin
• 1 ½ tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon peanut oil or 1 teaspoon olive oil
• salt
• fresh ground pepper
• 1 small bibb lettuce
• red leaf lettuce , torn
• tiny beet leaf , from top of the root (or another slightly bitter green)
• 1 head cross-cut Belgian endive (optional)
• 4 green onions , thinly sliced on the diagonal

Directions:

1. Place the carrots, garlic and orange peels with broth or water in a saucepan.
2. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer until the carrots are slightly tenderized, not cooked through, about 4 minutes.
3. Drain, discard the garlic and orange peels.
4. Chill carrots.
5. Meanwhile, slice all but an inch or so of the tops from beets.
6. Save the tiniest, tastiest beet greens for salad. The rest of the green may be cooked for stock or soup.
7. Simmer the unpeeled beets with some of the tops intact so they don't bleed into the water so much.
8. Carefully drain when beets are cooked through and slip off skins while still warm.
9. The red colour will stain fingers unless you wear rubber gloves.
10. Wear an old apron to protect clothes.
11. Halve beets and thinly slice.
12. If you don't want to stain a wooden cutting board, protect it with plastic wrap or paper towels.
13. When ready to serve, combine the carrots, beets, vinegar and peanut oil in a bowl and gently toss to coat and mix.
14. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss again.
15. Make a bed of the bibb, red-edged lettuce, beet leaves and endive, if using, on a serving platter.
16. Spoon on the root mixture.
17. Sprinkle with green onion slices and serve.
18. Variation: Make carrot ribbons instead of coins.
19. Shave each carrot with a veggie peeler to make thin strips like fettuccine.
20. Cook in same flavoured broth, but very briefly so carrots are not cooked through.
21. Remove from heat and let carrots steep in broth and absorb flavours.
22. Proceed with recipe.