I know it’s not really the season for warm salads, but since the farmer’s market is full of fresh chard and beets I couldn’t resist. I never liked beets growing up (this was the pickled variety), but once I tried using it as a fresh vegetable I discovered that it’s really good in salads and luckily tastes nothing like pickled beets.

Interestingly, chard is actually a type of beet, cultivated for it’s leaves. Beets are high in vitamin C and folate, and are also considered to have medicinal properties ranging from reducing high blood pressure, fever, and constipation to being an aphrodisiac. So beets seem to have you covered on all fronts.

Try mixing several different kinds of beets for this salad, if you can find them. Just try to keep the dark red ones separately until the last moment to avoid having a bright pink dish. And don’t wear your favorite bright summer clothes while cooking…

Warm Beet and Chard Salad
Serves 4-6.

Ingredients: 

6 medium beets (red, golden, Chioggia)
1/2 red onion, sliced
3 cloves of garlic
1 bunch chard, Rainbow or regular
1 cup cooked garbanzo beans (canned is fine, but rinse well)
2 tablespoons good olive oil

1. Roast the beets: Wrap beets in foil two and two together (of the same type so they don’t stain each other), place on a baking sheet in the middle of the oven and roast at 375 degrees for about one hour. Take the beets out of the oven to cool in the foil for a while. (Keeping them in the foil will help loosen the skin.) When cold enough to handle, remove the skin and slice beets in big pieces. Keep aside in a bowl. 
2. Sauté the onion and garlic on medium heat for about five minutes. Add roughly chopped chard, stems removed, and cook until the chard is done (5-10 minutes). Add the garbanzo beans and beets and heat for a few minutes. Taste for salt and pepper.