Beet Apple Watercress Salad
Curry Vinaigrette Ingredients
1 clove garlic
¼ tsp coarse Himalayan pink crystals optional
2 tsp curry powder
½ tsp galangal or Thai ginger
1 ½ Tbsp lemon juice
6 Tbsp olive oil
Curry Vinaigrette Preparation
Pound the garlic in a mortar with the sea salt auntil it forms a smooth paste. Add the curry powder (use commercially prepared powder or make your own, by using the recipe below.) Add ginger and work in the garlic. Stir in the lemon juice and whisk in the above oil.
2 tsp coriander seeds
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cardamon seeds
1 small stick cinnamon
10 cloves
¼ tsp pepper
1 tsp turmeric
Grind the whole spices in a spice mill, then stir in the turmeric powder or grind fresh root. Use soon after making and store any that is left over in a cool place in a tightly covered jar.
Salad Ingredients
1 pound beets, mixed red and golden
6 scallions, white parts only, minced
Lemon juice
½ C. currants
2 large bunches watercress or a mixture of water and field cress
2 firm apples (Gala)
1 cucumber
¾ C. walnut meats, freshly cracked and roasted
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
Leaving the tails and an inch of the stems on the beets, rinse them, put them in a baking pan with ¼ inch of water, cover, and bake them until they are tender when pierced with a knife, about an hour, depending on the size of the beets. Take care not to overcook them. When cool enough to handle, peel the beets, slice them in half, then into wedges, and toss them with 2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette and half the scallions. Add lemon juice to taste to make the beets a little tart. Set them aside.
Cover the currants with hot water and let them stand to soften for 15 minutes. Then drain, gently squeeze them to remove extra water, and add them to the cooked beets.
Go through the watercress and break off the small branches from the thick main stems. Discard any yellow leaves. Wash and spin dry. If you are using field cress, wash and dry it also.
Quarter the apples and slice them into thin pieces. Combine them with the cucumber, walnuts, and the rest of the scallions; toss with 2 tablespoons of the dressing. If you are using both kinds of cress, combine the two cresses, dress them with the rest of the vinaigrette, and set them out on salad plates or a large platter.
Arrange the beets on top of the greens with the cucumber, apples, and walnuts scattered over and around them.
