The advent of spring always excites me. It represents a renewal after the dead of winter, and anyone who's made it through at least one New England winter knows just how welcome spring is. In the last week or so, the yards and tree-wells on my street have begun to explode with color, daffodils heralding the grape hyacinths, which in turn have announced the return of the tulips. Petunias are beginning to poke through the mulch, and other, less identifiable flowers have returned as well. The whites and greys of winter can only last so long, and they invariably give way to this incredible, bright natural palette. The trees, which have lain dormant for so long, are now budding again. There are so many metaphors for all this, the renewal of spirit, the rebirth of life, and so on, that I could write entire volumes about the turning of the seasons. Instead, gentle readers, I'll leave it to you to draw your own, personal connections about the return of spring, while I talk about food for a little while.
The recipe below isn't necessarily spring-y, but if you like, I can certainly make something up about the vibrant colors, and the symbolism of the ingredients. Again, I leave that to you. I just wanted to share a personal favorite and invite you all to leave comments on your experiences with it. Now, on to the cooking!
Warm Beet, Chicken, & Walnut Salad
Ingredients:
* 1 bunch of beets, preferably with greens. If you can't get greens, spinach or turnip greens can substitute
* Walnut or pecan halves
* 1 small roll chevre goat cheese
* Boneless, skinless chicken breast
* Brown sugar
* Olive oil
* Rosemary
* Mango chutney
(NB: This is very much a 'to taste' recipe, hence the absence of ingredient amounts/quantities. By all means, feel free to play around to find what works for you)
Procedure:
1. Wash and peel the beets, removing and reserving the greens. Cube the beets into bite-sized pieces and roast at 375°F for about 20 minutes. The goal here is to get the beets to soften without becoming mushy.
2. When the beets are cooked, place them in the bottom of a large, flat-bottomed bowl. A glass bowl is wonderful for this, as it gives a great visual when the dish is complete. Layer the washed beet greens over the cubed beets. Crumble the goat cheese over the greens, making sure the crumbles are evenly distributed.
3. In a saucepan, heat a tablespoon or two of olive oil, and add the nuts and some brown sugar. Toss the nuts until they just start to caramelize. I usually take them out of the pan when they've just started to brown/blacken on the edges. Make sure you don't use too much oil, or you'll wind up with greasy nuts, and, well, ick! Once the nuts are done, sprinkle them into the bowl, over the cheese.
4. In the same pan you cooked the nuts, saute strips of chicken breast with some rosemary (fresh is always better, but there's nothing wrong with dried for this recipe) and a few healthy spoonfuls of mango chutney. Once the chicken's cooked through, place it in the serving bowl on top of the nuts.
5. That's it! You're ready to serve.
Although it'd work equally well as an appetizer or an entree, this is really a one-dish meal. There's no need to serve anything else, although some nice, crusty bread is a nice accompaniment. The flavors and textures work on a number of levels, and I've never received anything but rave reviews when I've served this dish.
The variations on this dish are endless...instead of using just beets, a mix of root veggies could add a new dimension of flavor and color. Imagine the gorgeous confetti effect from a mix of beets, carrots, and parsnips! The sweetness of the chutney and the tartness of the goat cheese could be highlighted with dried cherries or cranberries, and slivered almonds in place of walnuts or pecans would change the nature of the entire dish, in a wonderful way. Play around with my recipe, make it your own, and let me know how it turns out!
Bon appetit!
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