Simple Beet, Arugula and Feta Salad with Balsamic Dressing

The tomatoes are coming in at the farmers market and I am unreasonably happy about it. Oregon tomatoes in late July are a religious experience — they arrive late because Oregon is Oregon, but when they arrive they are dense and warm and taste like the sun concentrated itself into a fruit and then decided to be humble about it. I bought four pounds on Sunday and stood at the kitchen counter eating one like an apple, juice running down my arm, salt in my other hand, and thought: this is the best thing I will eat all year. Everything else is commentary.

I made a tomato salad with shiso — sliced tomatoes, torn shiso leaves from the balcony garden, a drizzle of good soy sauce and sesame oil. The shiso makes everything taste Japanese in the best way — it is the herb that bridges my two cuisines, that says "this is a Portland tomato and also a Japanese dish" without contradiction. I photographed it for the blog. The colors were almost obscene — red tomatoes, green shiso, the dark amber of soy sauce. My readers said it looked like a painting. I said it tasted like August. Same thing.

Brian and I started couples therapy. Our therapist is named Janet and she has a calm, steady presence that reminds me of a yoga teacher, which I find comforting and Brian finds slightly suspicious. She asked us each to describe what we need from the relationship. I said I need to be understood, even when the understanding is hard. Brian said he needs to have fun. Janet wrote both answers down without comment. I could write an entire essay about the distance between "understood" and "fun." I probably will.

Miya grabbed a piece of rice from my plate and put it in her mouth this week. Her first self-directed eating. She gummed it thoughtfully, made a face that could have been delight or confusion, and then reached for more. Fumiko, when I told her, said, "Now she is ready." Ready for what, I asked. Fumiko said, "Everything." I think she meant solid food. I think she meant more than solid food. With Fumiko, the literal and the cosmic are always the same sentence.

That week of farmers market tomatoes and shiso reminded me that the most beautiful food asks almost nothing of you — it just needs good ingredients and the willingness to let color do the talking. This beet, arugula, and feta salad lives in the same spirit: jewel-red beets, dark greens, crumbles of bright white cheese, and a balsamic dressing that pulls it all into something that looks, as my readers might say, like a painting. It felt right to share it alongside the tomato salad energy — another dish where the act of making it is almost secondary to the pleasure of just looking at it before you eat.

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 45 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour | Servings: 4

Ingredients

3 medium beets, scrubbed and trimmed
4 cups baby arugula
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup toasted walnuts or pecans
2 tablespoons thinly sliced red onion
3 tablespoons good-quality balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

Roast the beets. Preheat oven to 400°F. Wrap each beet individually in foil and place on a baking sheet. Roast for 40–50 minutes, until a knife slides in easily. Allow to cool, then rub off the skins with a paper towel. Cut into wedges or 1/2-inch slices.
Make the dressing. In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, Dijon mustard, and honey. Season with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust — it should be tangy and slightly sweet.
Assemble the salad. Spread the arugula on a large platter or in a wide bowl. Arrange the beet wedges on top. Scatter the red onion, toasted nuts, and crumbled feta over everything.
Dress and serve. Drizzle the balsamic dressing over the salad just before serving. Give it a gentle toss or leave it layered for presentation. Serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Simple Beet, Arugula and Feta Salad with Balsamic Dressing — When the Colors Are Almost Obscene