Roasted Beet Salad with Bitter Greens and Crispy Spring Onions
(adapted from Serving Up the Harvest, by Andrea Chesman)
Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 or 2 bunches of beets, tops and roots trimmed
1 or 2 heads of escarole (you may substitute other chicories or arugula)
1/2 cup Mustard Créme Fraiche
1/2 cup Crispy fried Spring Onions

Preheat oven to 400.

Wash the beets, place them whole and un-peeled into a covered baking dish or sealed in foil. Roast for 50 – 60 minutes, until the largest beet is easily pierced with a fork. Remove from the oven and let cool completely. When they are cool enough to handle, peel and slice.

Mustard Créme Fraiche
(makes 1 cup)

Combine:
1 cup Créme fraiche ( you can substitute sour creme if you prefer)
1 tbsp prepared horseradish
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Milk for thinning, if needed

Crispy Fried Spring Onions

Heat 2 inches of oil in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Slice the onions into thin rings. Add about one quarter of the onions and fry, stir occasionally until browned. Remove them from the oil using a slotted spoon and transfer them to a paper towel. Repeat until all the onions are fried. Season generously with salt.

Making the salad.

Make a bed of the greens on a large platter (optional if you prefer to slightly cook the greens first). Top with the roasted beets. Drizzle on the dressing and garnish with the crispy spring onions.

Enjoy.