Salad with Star Fruit, Roasted Beets, and Goat Cheese
I love this simple winter salad. It pairs our winter produce (beets and goat cheese) with the star fruit (carambola) -- a product of the tropics which is conveniently flown into our stores in winter. The beets came from Thirty Acre Farm (Whitefield, Maine) and the goat cheese from Tourmaline Hill Farm in Greenwood.
The star fruit is generally available year round. It's native to Indonesia, India and Sri Lanka and it's also cultivated in the South Pacific, parts of East Asia, and in Columbia, Trinidad, the Dominican Republic and Brazil. In the U.S. it's grown in Florida and Hawaii.
Star fruit has a tart taste, like grapefruit, which pairs well with the roasted beets and artisanal goat cheese in this salad. Served with a crusty baguette and a crisp Pinot Grigio, this makes a great starter for a winter lunch.
Salad with Star Fruit, Roasted Beets, and Goat Cheese
Print this recipe.2 servings
Ingredients
- 6 ounces beets
- 1 star fruit, sliced thin
- 3 ounces plain goat cheese
- 2 scallions, cut in threads
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- Pinch coarse salt
Method
1. Toss the beets in 1 teaspoon olive oil and roast for about an hour in a preheated 400º oven. When done, allow to cool and remove the skin and root ends and slice. This may be done up to 2 days ahead.
2. Arrange the star fruit slices in a circle on the salad plates. Lay the beet slices in overlapping layers inside the ring of star fruit.
3. Scatter on the goat cheese.
4. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil and the balsamic vinegar and scatter on the salt.
Garnish with the scallion threads and serve immediately.
Nutritional Estimate: 2 Servings. Per serving: 188 Calories; 13 g Total Carbs; 3 g Dietary Fiber; 10 g Sugars; 11 g Fat; 19 mg Cholesterol; 513 mg Sodium; 10 g Protein. Weight Watchers: 4 points.
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Comments
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We beet-lovers are always hoping that more people will come around to appreciating these splendid roots. Your recipes will help. I always wrap whole beets in foil to roast them, then store them that way in the fridge, all nicely packaged and waiting for their destiny.
Also, I had a star fruit tree in my yard, and that fruit is really good only for about 15 minutes before the bugs colonize it, and even then not great. I use Valencia oranges instead, not so cute but lots more flavor and plenty of C. Sail on, fine Captain.
Posted by: Jane | March 22, 2010 at 08:42 AM
Hi Jane...
Thanks so much for stopping by and taking the time to leave your comment. I'm definitely in the beet-lover camp! I've never found it necessary to wrap the beets for roasting...one of the things I like about them is that, aside from washing them, you don't have to do anything to them. I put them in a toaster oven on a timer and forget about them.
The star fruit is not so familiar to me but I've never had bug problems with the commercially available ones...but you're absolutely right, blood oranges are an excellent substitution
best, Stephen
Posted by: stephen | March 22, 2010 at 09:06 AM
YUM! I only discovered last year that I actually LOVE fresh roasted beets. I always thought the canned type were mushy and not so good. I LOVE how simple this recipe is - I may have to try it...now if I can only manage to "brave" starfruit :)
P.S. Sad to see you leave OS, but, I completely understand your reasons and can relate too :)
Posted by: Danica | March 22, 2010 at 01:53 PM