Everyone has one — or maybe two or three. A go-to recipe used when an occasion calls for you to “bring a dish.” Today’s recipe is one that Mom and my Zia often used to fulfill their potluck obligation. To be honest, I’ve no idea who first “discovered” this recipe. I remember Mom serving it for dinner during my childhood and Zia brings it to dinners to this very day. A colorful dish, this is much lighter than potato salad and is sure to be a hit among beet lovers. Even so, not all beet lovers are fans of mayonnaise. Should that be true for you, I hope you’ll find this classic video more to your liking.

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When you look over the recipe, you’ll notice that the ingredients are listed without accompanying amounts. Much depends upon the number of servings required and the size of the serving dish. When all is said and done, you’ll need to create a layer of beets that is about one inch deep. Next, the amount of chopped onion depends upon how just how strong that onion is. Be sure to taste it before adding it to the salad. If it is too strong, rinse it briefly under cold running water and pat it dry using paper towels before proceeding. With that settled, you can add as much or as little mayonnaise as you prefer, and the same can be said for the chopped, hard-boiled eggs. Remember, the beets are the star of the dish; everything else is meant to compliment rather than overpower.

Oh! Before you toss those beet greens away, you may wish to checkout my blogging friend David’s recipe for creamed beet greens over on his blog, the Gastronomic Gardener.

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The Bartolini Girls’ Beet Salad Recipe

Ingredients

• Raw beets, washed with greens trimmed
• Diced onion
• Mayonnaise
• Eggs, hard-boiled and chopped
• Salt & pepper, to taste

Directions

1. To Prepare the Beets
   1. Pre-heat oven to 400˚ F (205˚ C)
   2. Place the beets in a roasting pan or on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt, and place in the middle of the oven. Roast for 30 – 40 minutes, depending upon the size of the beets. The beets are fully roasted when a knife’s blade meets little resistance when the largest beet is pierced. Set aside to cool.
   3. Once cool enough to handle, use a paring knife to trim the beets’ tops and bottoms. Much of the skin of each bulb should slip off easily. Use a paring knife to remove the rest.
   4. Use a knife, food processor, or mandoline to dice, shred, or slice the beets. Set aside.
2. To Assemble the Salad
   1. Place beets in a serving dish. You’ll want to create layer of about an inch deep. Season lightly with salt.
   2. Sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of diced onion on top of the beets. Use more or less depending upon the onion’s strength.
   3. Add enough mayonnaise to completely cover the ingredients.
   4. Use the chopped, hard-boiled eggs to top off the salad.
   5. Season with salt, pepper, and sweet paprika.
3. Chill fully before serving.

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Variations

Although I’ve not tried to prepare them this way, I imagine one could steam the beets instead of roasting them. And if you’re in a crunch for time, you can always substitute canned beets, although I prefer the additional flavor that roasted beets bring to the dish.

Notes

To beginner cooks: mayonnaise and hot temperatures do not mix. Serious illness can result if mayonnaise is not kept properly chilled. When serving this salad or any mayonnaise-based dish on a warm day, be sure to keep it covered and iced until the last minute before serving and then nestle the serving dish in another slightly larger one filled with ice. It must be kept chilled and when in doubt, throw it out.

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One Long Overdue Acknowledgement

Way back in May, I was fortunate to win a give-away over at Zesty Bean Dog’s wonderful blog. My original plan was to feature my prize, an OXO salad dressing shaker, with my next post featuring a salad. Well, in retrospect and given how few salad recipes I post, I should have come up with a better plan. And even though a salad shaker isn’t used in the preparation of today’s recipe, I thought it was about the closest I’d come to posting a salad recipe for at least a few weeks. ZBD, I hope you do not feel that I don’t appreciate or do not use your gift. It has remained “in service” pretty much from Day One and is one of those few kitchen items that goes from fridge to dishwasher and back again, without ever seeing the inside of a cupboard. So, thanks again, ZBD, for a great kitchen accessory.

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By any other name …

“Black Baccara”

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