Golden Beet Black Rice Salad

Rich and hearty, golden beets, crisp arugula, elegant black wild rice, toasted walnuts, and golden raisins compose this beautiful salad. Easily a meal, this combo works well all year. The round shape of the beets make an impressive presentation as seen here in a ring, or in straight rows as I’ve done in previous beet salads. Add feta, goat cheese, or shaved Parmesan if you’re a cheesy peep. A great time saver is that I used a bottled honey garlic vinaigrette. I was in the pantry grabbing fresh dressing ingredients, when I saw this bottle and grabbed it. It totally worked, and was a change from my one trick pony dressing recipe. Using a bottled quality dressing or sauce does not mean we didn’t make this ourselves:).

Ingredients:
3 to 4 cups of sliced yellow beets, about 20 slices. You can also use cubed if that’s what’s available, just place them attractively in a composed pattern (should you so choose).
Four cups arugula
3/4 cup yellow raisins
A cup of halved, toasted walnuts
Black rice prepared to package directions. I like the Lundberg brand. You’ll need 2 cups cooked black rice.
Your favorite bottled vinaigrette. I like one that has a sweetness to it, to lighten the earthier components and soften the sharpness of the arugula.

Roast the beets in a single layer after rubbing with olive oil, in a 400 oven for 45 minutes. LIGHTLY salt them with just a sprinkle before placing in oven. They should ultimately be fork tender but not too soft, so they can retain their shape in the salad. Let cool slightly. While the beets are cooking, prepare the rice. Chop and toast the walnuts in a dry skillet, stirring and watching for any burning. I like to mix the arugula, rice, nuts, and raisins with some dressing in a large bowl, then transfer that to a platter and arrange the beet slices, drizzling some more dressing on top. Scatter extra raisins and nuts for garnish, add cheese if desired but aim to maintain the integrity of the presentation as far as placement. This is a beautiful Rosh Hashanah salad, but I’m going to pretend I’m not thinking about that right now.