Candy Stripe Salad
Satterfield's cold vegetable salad features a variety of local, fall veggies.
By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson
Satterfield's Balsamic Roasted Beet Salad includes butternut squash, green beans, apple, and Havarti. But this cold vegetable salad's primary focus is beets. Not just any beets, but David Snow's local, organic beets. "It's important to use gold or candy stripe beets because they will not bleed through the salad," says executive chef Haller Magee.
Several local food producers’ products are used in the salad. The beets, butternut squash and beans come from Dave and Margaret Ann Snow of Snow's Bend Farms in Tuscaloosa. “He has such beautiful produce, Magee says.” The Cumberland Spur Apple is also local, from Jason Powell at Petals from the Past in Jemison. “This variety was actually patented by the Powell family here in Alabama.” And Satterfield’s pastry chef, Corey Hinkel makes the Havarti cheese with David Wright of Wright Dairy in Alexandria.
Balsamic Roasted Beet Salad with Butternut Squash, Green Beans, Apple, and Local Havarti
Ingredients:
1 bunch of baby gold or candy stripe beets (10 beets)
2 cup of medium diced (½ x ½ ) butternut squash
2 cup of green beans, sliced on the bias 2” long
1 Cumberland Spur Apple (to be julienned when assembling salad)
1 small red onion, fine julienne
6 ounce havarti, medium diced ( ½ x ½ )
2 cups balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoons chives, minced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, for finishing
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs of thyme
salt and pepper to taste, and salt for blanching
Procedure:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. While oven is preheating, put a pot of salted water on stove and bring to a boil. Create an ice bath in another bowl. These will be used to blanch and shock the butternut squash and green beans. Marinate the julienned red onion with one cup of the balsamic vinegar. Remove the tops from the beets. Place beets in roasting pan with bay leaves, thyme sprigs, and the remaining cup of balsamic vinegar. Season beets with salt and pepper, cover, and place in oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until fork tender. While beets are roasting, the blanch water should be coming to a boil. Place green beans in blanch water for three or four minutes or until tender enough to bite through them. Remove and place beans in ice bath to stop the cooking process. Repeat the same process with the butternut squash. The squash should be fork tender. Remove vegetables from ice bath once they have cooled. Allow them to dry on paper towels, reserve. When beets are done, allow them to cool down enough so that you may remove their skin with a damp towel. Quarter them and reserve.
Assembly:
You will need a large bowl to toss all the salad items. Slice the apple thinly and place in bowl. Drain any excess liquid off the marinated red onion and place in bowl with beets, butternut squash, green beans, toasted walnuts, havarti, and chives. Finish with extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Serves four.