We joined a CSA group (Community Supported Agriculture) a few years ago. We have a veggie share and pick-up produce every Tuesday from May through November. We get golden beets in midsummer. The beets have to be washed well, roots cut off, and then boiled in water with a little bit of vinegar, for at least a half hour depending on size of beets. Golden beets are so sweet and refreshing that they become the centerpiece of a summer salad. The bitter arugula and salty creamy goat cheese complement the sweetness of the beets. We add roasted pignolis because they add a buttery nutty taste to the salad.

Serves 4, ready in 15 minutes

Baby arugula - a few handfuls depending on how many people you are serving
One medium sized golden beet
1/4 cup toasted pignoli nuts
1.5 ounces goat cheese

Dressing:

1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2-3 tbsp high quality olive oil
1 pressed garlic clove
1 squeeze (roughly 1/4 tsp) honey
Black pepper to taste

Throw the arugula in a salad bowl. Slice the golden beets as thinly as possible. If you have a mandolin for this step, it is incredibly useful. Crumble the goat cheese over the beets and arugula.

Toast the pignoli nuts in a dry skillet over a low flame. Toss the nuts in the pan often to make sure they do not burn. When they appear toasted and give off a buttery scent, take them off the heat. I usually let them sit for a few minutes to cool, then toss them in the bowl.

We make our salad dressing by mixing the ingredients in a jar. We have several jam jars that Claudia painted. Here is a picture of a couple of them.

We shake and mix the dressing, tasting it to refine the ingredients, until it's just right. We may add a little more balsamic vinegar than required! Right before we serve the salad we pour the dressing over it and toss.