Cookies Preferences
I think I threw this together for the first time on a big "Kefir Roasted Chicken" night we had at Supervega just before the pandemic started in earnest. It was the night before I was due to go do some consulting work at a fancy resort in Aqaba, Jordan and I was already feeling wistful about leaving what was a thriving Supervega behind. I felt like I was going to miss something. Turns out what I missed was the complete shutdown of all Beirut's restaurants and a very tricky navigation back to some sort of normal. But that night was magic as I prepared all the sides to go along with the burnished roast chickens. As the evening went on I roamed around the dining room speaking to clients as the energy of the room increased. I think the evening ended with shots at the owners' table and a kitchen full of 86'd items. I love this salad. It's the epitome of winter to me.
12 small beets, scrubbed clean
1 head fennel, sliced paper thin on mandolin
handful micro kale
12 pickled kumquats (recipe here)
handful mint leaves
zaatar vinaigrette (recipe below)
zaatar vinaigrette
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons zaatar spice mix
salt and pepper
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Place the beets in a oven-safe dish with water half way up the sides and cover tightly with foil. Cook in a 180/375 degree oven for about 40 minutes, until a knife inserted in the middle of one has no resistance. While they're roasting, simply mix together all of the ingredients for the zaatar vinaigrette in a jar and give it a good shake. Remove the foil from the beets when they're cool enough to handle, peel the skin from the beets and cut them into 2 or 4 (depending on their size). In a bowl toss together the beets, fennel, micro kale, pickled kumquats, and mint, before drizzling with zaatar vinaigrette.
