For the first several weeks of the season, we’ve gotten nothing but hardy greens in our CSA box. But this past week we finally got some other veggies; beets! I love beets with a passion, and was so excited to use them. Since it was hot all week, I wanted something cooling. No roasting root veggies for an hour in a hot kitchen! I ended up combining ideas from a few sources. First I scrubbed the beets, and wrapped each one in foil with a bit of olive oil. Then I roasted them in the air fryer, at 400 for about an hour. (I lost track of exact time, as I was doing other things while they cooked.) The air fryer did a great job, and most importantly, didn’t make the kitchen hot.
Once they cooled enough to handle, I rubbed off the skins and chopped them, before putting them in the fridge to finish chilling. When it was time for dinner, I filled each bowl with beets and cubes of watermelon. I sprinkled on some chopped fresh mint, toasted pecans, and a sprinkle of crumbled goat cheese. Each one got a light drizzle of olive oil and apple cider vinegar, along with a dash of Kosher salt and pepper.
It was so, so refreshing. I had the same salad for lunch for the next two days!