red or green?: Roasted Fig, Beet & Orange Salad with Maple Syrup and Jalapeno Vinaigrette

Figs, Figs Figs! I love them and, when in season, try to add them to breakfast, lunch and dinner dishes. Today I felt like a big salad for lunch...with figs...and beets...and some citrus. This recipe is the result.

Regular readers know that I am addicted to roasting vegetables...and fruit. I roast everything, but I had not roasted oranges before. I thought the end result would be interesting so I roasted oranges alongside the figs and beets. You know what? They are delicious. Roasting deepens and softens the citrus flavor so they caramelize just a bit and pair nicely with the figs and beets. (of course roasting figs and beets is amazing!) The slightly sweet and spicy vinaigrette really complements the rest of the ingredients.

This salad is perfect for a late summer/early fall lunch or as the first course of a harvest dinner. I added goat cheese today...but feta would be equally delicious....and maybe a sprinkling of hazelnuts? hmm...lots of possibilities with this one. What would you add?

Roasted Fig, Beet & Orange Salad with Maple Syrup and Jalapeno Vinaigrette
6-8 small beets
extra virgin olive oil 6 fresh figs, washed and cut in half
1 orange, peeled and sectioned
3 cups baby spinach , washed and dried
1/2 cup soft goat cheese, crumbled
grey sea salt
freshly cracked black pepper
maple syrup & jalapeno vinaigrette (recipe follows)
excellent quality aged balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash beets and cut off greens only, not the stems (save greens for another use...delicious sauteed in e.v.o.o. and stirred into pasta)

**Tear off 3 pieces of tin foil twice as large as size of 1 bunch of beets. Place 2-3 beets in the center of each piece of foil. Drizzle with 2 turns of the olive oil. Sprinkle with a pinch of grey salt. Wrap the beets tightly in the foil to ensure no steam escapes. Place on a rimmed baking sheet. Add to oven.
Roast beets for approx. 40 minutes Remove from oven and, using a metal spatula, push the beet packets to one side of pan add fig slices and orange sections to the space on baking sheet. Drizzle figs and oranges with a couple passes of extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt (about a tsp of salt). Add back to oven and continue roasting for an additional 20 minutes or until figs and oranges have begun to caramelize and beets can be easily pierced with a knife. (be very careful when opening beet packets to allow the steam to escape). Let cool and peel the beets. Cut in half and then into wedges .Set aside.

Meanwhile add spinach to medium bowl. Add a couple of tablespoons of Maple Syrup and Jalapeno Vinaigrette (shake mason jar if ingredients have separated) and toss. Go light with the dressing, you don't want to drown the leaves...start with 1 tbsp, toss and add a little at a time of the second tbsp. You may not need all of the second tbsp. Add goat cheese and salt & pepper to taste. Mound spinach on a serving platter. Scatter the beets, figs and orange wedges on top on the spinach. Drizzle balsamic vinegar over the top of the salad. Drizzle a bit more vinaigrette if desired. Adjust seasonings to taste and serve.

Maple Syrup & Jalapeno Vinaigrette
1/8 cup champagne vinegar
pinch grey salt
pinch black pepper
1 tbsp honey pure maple syrup
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp minced jalapeno, seeded, with ribs removed

Add vinegar, salt, pepper and maple syrup to small bowl and whisk to incorporate. Pour in the olive oil in a stream, whisking constantly. Add jalapeno. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Transfer to small mason jar with lid and set aside.
**