Arugula Salad with Maple-Sesame Dressing

Ingredients

• Arugula
• 2 large beets (or 3 small-medium beets)
• 8 small new potatoes
• 2-4 oz chevre (depending on how much cheese you like)
• pumpkin seeds (shelled)
• 1 blood orange (peeled, divested of its membranes, and roughly chopped)
• 5-6 oil cured olives (pitted and roughly chopped)
For the dressing:
• 1/4 c white balsamic vinegar
• 1/3 c maple syrup
• 1/4 c sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp dijon mustard

Instructions

1. Start by making the dressing: in a small saucepan, boil the vinegar until it’s reduced by 1/3-1/2. Add the syrup, sesame oil, and mustard. Whisk until combined; set aside and let cool.
2. Then, deal with the beets! Preheat your oven to 375. Rub the beets with oil (Do not peel!) and wrap tightly in foil. Bake until tender to the tip of a pointy knife–about an hour. Set aside until cool enough to touch, and then peel using your hands. If you have rubber gloves handy, I recommend wearing those as you do this–otherwise, you do risk looking like a refugee from a violent crime scene. Once peeled, cut them into cubes about 1/2? on a side.
3. Boil your potatoes. I personally prefer to put them in the cold water and let them all boil together, but use whatever method you prefer.
4. Toast the pumpkin seeds: do it without oil, in a small skillet, over high heat. Watch them like a hawk to make sure they don’t burn–a minute or so should do it. Remove them from heat the instant they start to brown.
5. Assemble your salad! Crumble the chevre, toss in the olives, don’t forget the oranges, throw it all together with gusto! Serve with some nice bread if you’re so inclined. The big trick is to avoid putting the dressing in a glass and just drinking it straight–it’s that good, but better with the vegetables.