Over the coming summer months I am going to share a few simple salads with you that both celebrate fresh local produce and take only minutes to prepare!
Mum and I have been ordering Victorian grown walnuts through a local food-co op on the Mornington Peninsula lately and we can’t get enough of them! They’re so versatile, not only as a nutritious snack but the perfect addition to a cheese board, salad or even soup. So if you’re ever lacking texture in a dish – always consider nuts as an option!
I went to a friends place for a barbecue only a couple of weeks ago and made this exact side salad. I simply packed a bundle of fresh spinach from our veggie patch, roasted a couple of beets at home and picked up some Meredith goats cheese along the way.
And here’s the best part – it was so easy to prepare, allowing me more time to mingle and share a glass of bubbles with friends…
Ahoy Summer!
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 4
- 1 bunch of fresh spinach
- 3 baby beets, peeled and cut into wedges (1/8th)
- ½ cup walnuts, roughly chopped
- ½ cup fresh goats cheese
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp premium olive oil
- There are a couple of ways you can do this! Supermarkets now sell fresh beetroot bulbs that have been cooked, peeled and vacuum packed for your convenience! One of the most pronounced and popular of these brands is Australian grown “Love Beets” which are reasonably priced and 100% natural. They’re stocked through Coles, IGA, Foodworks, Costco, Aussie Farmers Direct, Thomas Dux and Farmer Jacks in WA – so are readily accessible.
- Alternatively you can cook a few beets at home (if you are going to make this recipe at a campsite, you can cook ahead of time at home or in a camp kitchen oven). Simply preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius, wrap each individual beetroot (unpeeled) in foil (drizzle with a dash of oil) and place on a baking tray. Roast until tender (approximately 1 hour), remove from oven, cool and pack into sealable bags. I like to use them within a few days! Oh, and make sure you keep them refrigerated!
- You can also buy whole baby beets in a can at all supermarkets.
- Place spinach in a large salad bowl; scatter with walnuts, beetroot wedges, crumbled goat’s cheese and finish with lemon juice and olive oil.
- Optional: I like to occasionally add a handful of (roughly chopped) fresh mint leaves if they’re available to me however this isn’t essential, just something I enjoy.
- Service is simple; toss salad and you’re ready to go!
We have some beetroot we have grown so we will try it soon. Thanks Tom
Nothing better than fresh beetroot from the garden! Enjoy! Tom x
You can cook the beetroot in the microwave really quickly too. Even microwave first then roast for a short time to get the caramelization. You know I am an impatient cook!
I’ll definitely try this at home! Thank you for the great tip! X
This is yum, I love making this salad in the summer months. If you want to make it feel extra summery crush some raspberries into the dressing mix.
Now that sounds yum! I am going to definitely try this Thanks for the hot tip! Tom xx
Barbara Maltman
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