Ensalada de remolacha (roasted beet salad with candied orange, manchego and Marcona almonds)

Serves eight as a small plate

This salad may not be traditional, but it celebrates the autumnal beets using Spanish ingredients. Manchego cheese and salty roasted Marcona almonds go so well with earthy beets. Oranges start rolling into stores in the fall, but aren’t quite at the height of sweetness yet, so I candy them to match the orange vinaigrette. Most people don’t think they’ll hit a winning combination of red wine with salad, but a Rioja or Mencia tastes wonderful with this dish.

SALAD
3 medium beets (1 pound), preferably one each red, gold, Chioggia
3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, separated
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 orange, peel and pith removed, segments cut out
4 segments candied oranges (see recipe below), cut into ½-inch pieces
2 ounces aged manchego cheese, shaved with a vegetable peeler
½ cup coarsely chopped roasted and salted Marcona almonds
1 (5-ounce) package mixed greens

ORANGE VINAIGRETTE
1 orange
1½ teaspoons fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon minced shallot
½ teaspoon honey
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
2½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

To make the salad, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Peel and cut the beets into 1-inch chunks, keeping the colors separate on different large sheets of foil. Toss each pile of beets with 1 teaspoon oil and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Wrap each mound of beets in the foil to create packets. Place the packets on a half-sheet pan and roast until the beets are tender, 40 to 50 minutes. Unwrap and cool to room temperature.

While the beets roast, make the vinaigrette: Zest one-quarter of the orange into a large bowl, then squeeze in 1½ tablespoons orange juice. Whisk in the lemon juice, shallot, honey and salt. Slowly pour in the oil in a steady stream while whisking vigorously. Add the cooled beets, orange segments, candied orange, cheese, almonds and greens to the bowl with the vinaigrette. Gently toss with your hands until well-mixed. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Candied Oranges

Makes 1½ cups

Sevilla is famous for its oranges, which are tart and ideal for preserves. This recipe is my nod to those oranges, but can be used with any variety. These easy candied oranges use the whole fruit, not just the peel. That saves you the hassle of scraping off the pith and gives you the benefit of luscious fruit in each bite with the chewy rind. They keep well in the fridge and are delicious with both savory and sweet dishes. They’re good with ice cream and can find a place on a cheese plate, too, along with crackers and nuts.

3 oranges, preferably unwaxed organic
1 cup sugar
¼ cup white wine vinegar
2 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick

Trim off just enough of the tops and bottoms of the oranges to expose the segments. Following the divisions between the segments, cut the oranges from top to bottom into wedges, leaving the rind attached. Put the orange wedges in a medium saucepan and add enough cold water to cover; bring to a simmer. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour. Strain the oranges through a sieve, return to the same saucepan and add the sugar, vinegar, cloves, cinnamon and 3 tablespoons water. Bring to a simmer and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the rinds are translucent, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool at room temperature. Transfer to an airtight jar or container and refrigerate for up to 2 months.

Note: These recipes are excerpted from Katie Button’s recently released cookbook, Cúrate. Reprinted with permission from Flatiron Books.