Beet, Pluot and Spinach Salad with Sweet Onions and Lemon Ginger Dressing

I just ate this for lunch. Delicious! I must be maturing because I thought I hated them, but now I’m even enjoying beets without the help of goat cheese or toasted nuts (both could be added, but I promise it’s not necessary). The real star of this salad is the pluot. In case you’re not familiar, a pluot is a hybrid of a plum and an apricot. It has the texture of a plum, but the flesh is slightly more firm and sweet, and the skin is not as bracingly tart but still has a good little pucker to it. They liven up and compliment the earthy, sweet beet. They are in season now, I picked them up at Costco, and you’ll know they are ripe if they feel a little soft when pressed.

 

This salad comes together quickly. You’ll start by making the dressing right in the serving bowl. If you have your own roasted beets on hand, congratulations. If not, I hope it goes without saying there’s no shame in a shortcut and these precooked Love Beets are great.

 

Make sure you use truly sweet onions, also in season now, such as Walla Walla if you’re in the Pacific Northwest. Vidalia and Maui are also well-known varieties. You should be able to take a bite of raw onion and actually enjoy it. An added bonus is they generally don’t cause tears.

 

(serves 4 – 6)

 

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon ginger root, peeled and grated

1/2 teaspoon honey

pinch of salt

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

freshly ground pepper

2 ripe pluots, sliced

3 medium-sized beets, cooked, sliced

4 cups baby spinach

1/4 sweet onion, thinly sliced

 

 

Juice one lemon, a small/medium one should yield approximately 2 tablespoons of juice.

 

 

I signed my girls up for only two weeks of day camp this summer. The first week was in late June, the other is this week. I don’t think it’s coincidence my only other blog post of the summer was that late June week… Oh well! I’ll see you in the fall if the rest of the summer escapes me. 8 year old girls are too much fun!

 

When I get discouraged about my lack of productivity (which is often!) I try to remember these words of wisdom.