Seeing Magenta

Magenta Juice! 

3 purple carrots, 1 apple, 1 orange, 1" cube of ginger

and a salad that looks like Christmas

Can I blame this consumption of color on the impending hallmark holiday? Perhaps. But really, I think my tomato craving has got to the point where my my mind is mistaking pink for red. Can't fine heirloom beefsteaks the size of my hand? Well this blood orange, or crimson beet looks just as gorgeous. And so I cave. Shamelessly. 

I am sharing this salad recipe with you because it is simple, and pretty, delicious. And I want you to make it, and understand how good it will make you feel. It's not summer yet, but let's not rush through the winter and forget about all the color that is just waiting to be consumed.

Shredded Beet Salad

with farro and arugula pesto

 Serves: 2 - 3

1/2 cup farro

3 medium beets, peeled
2 small cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons arugula-walnut pesto
2 tablespoons hemp seeds
optional: raw or slightly steamed kale, or any other leafy green that catches your eye at the market

pesto: makes about 1/2 cup 
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted
1 1/2 cups lightly packed arugula leaves, stems removed
1/3 cup freshly grated Pecorino or Parmesan cheese
1 large clove of garlic, grated
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus more if needed
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
sea salt

Make the pesto. Combine the all of the ingredients, but only a splash of the olive oil and blend with an immersion blender (or a food processor or mortar and pestle). Continue blending as you gradually add the remaining olive oil, until the you develop a beautiful green sauce. Taste and add salt and lemon as needed. You will have leftovers, but you can take care of that problem easily. Spread it on toast, toss it with pasta or vegetables, scramble with eggs...

Toast farro in a small sauce pan, over medium-high heat until they are release a fragrant nutty aroma, about 3 minutes. Add 1 cup of water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, reduce to a very low simmer, cover, and cook until all of the liquid is absorbed and most of the grain has split. About 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, shred the beets, julienne style, with a mandolin or food processor. You can also slice the beets very thin, but they will naturally be a little crunchier - but still good. Heat the olive oil in a medium-large pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and heat. Add the shredded beets and sauté until they soften and there is no longer moisture in the pan, 7 minutes or so. Mix the cooked farro into the pan.

Turn the mixture out onto a serving dish. Serve with a spoonful of pesto on top and a sprinkling of hemp seeds. Alternatively you can mix it in before serving but it its vibrant green color gets lost that way.