Meet my new Culinary Best Friend.  The light to my kitchen darkness.  The vibrant to my blah.  The gorgeous sunshine to my spring.  I have fallen.  And let me just tell you why.

Because I’ve got a thing for beets.  Because beets are gorgeous and the perfect texture.  They’re earthy and subtle and versatile.

Because, well, oranges.  Sweet, acidic, juicy oranges.  And when you put them right next to an earthy beet the two share their earthiness and sweetness like the best of buddies.

And because of burrata cheese…which is up there on my list of over-the-top happiness.  If this stuff is new to you, can I just tell you about it for a quick second?  It’s fresh mozzarella cheese…yum, right?  But if that isn’t enough…it is fresh mozzarella cheese that is filled with cream.  So the outter shell is like your traditional mozzarella…but you slice that bad boy in half and find that the cream has seeped all thought the inside leaving you with the most lush, pick-apart-and-dab-on-a-salad piece of delightfulness.  It’s a real thing.

But thats not all…I love this dish for so much more.  For the lip puckering vinaigrette that you drizzle on top.  The outstanding crunch from the chopped pistachios.  And that sprinkling of sea salt that just signs, seals and delivers.

It’s full of nothing but the goods and as elegant as can be.  And don’t worry, I wont tell your guests how simple this is to prepare if you don’t…it can be our little secret.

Beet, Burrata + Orange Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette 

notes: navel oranges will do here…but if you can get your hands on a cara cara you will be glad you did.  also, burrata can be found in most markets.  I tend to buy mine at Trader Joes but have also found it at Lunds and Byerlys.

Ingredients

For the Citrus Vinaigrette 

1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 Tablespoons Champagne or White Wine Vinegar

1 Tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice

1 Tablespoon Fresh Orange Juice

1 Teaspoon Dijon Mustard

1/4 Teaspoon Salt

Pinch of Black Pepper

For the Salad

1 Pound Beets

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

2 Navel or Cara Cara Oranges, peel and white pith sliced off

4 Ounces Burrata Cheese, pulled apart into bite sized pieces

Chopped Roasted Pistachios

Sea Salt, for sprinkling

Directions

For the Vinaigrette

Place all ingredients in a mason jar or tightly sealed container and shake well to combine.  Can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

For the Salad

Preheat oven to 400.  Trim the stems off the beets and place each beet on a piece of foil large enough to wrap it up.  Drizzle olive oil over the beets and wrap each one in the foil.  Place foil packets on a baking sheet and roast for 1 hour.  Remove the beets from foil and let cool until easy enough to handle.  Use your fingers to slide the skin off of the beets and then slice into rounds.  Can be made up to 2 days ahead and stored in the refrigerator.

Use a knife to cut the ends off of the oranges and then cut down the sides removing the peels and white pith.  Slice oranges into rounds.

Alternate beets and oranges on a serving plate.  Sprinkle with burrata and chopped pistachios and finish with a sprinkling of sea salt.  Drizzle a small amount of the vinaigrette over the top and serve.  Serves 4-6 as a side/salad.

inspired by Bon Apetit, January 2004