Beet Salad

Inspired by the same dish at Syrian Bakery:

  • 6 beets
  • 1 small onion
  • 5 cloves garlic, whole
  • 1 lemon
  • 8 oz feta cheese
  • 1 cup parsley, chopped
  • Pepper
  • Olive oil

Put a steamer basket in a big pot with some water, start that up. Trim the leaves from the beets, cut off any little dangly bits, lightly score each one with an X on the bottom, put in the steamer. Cut the onions into quarter rings, peel the garlic but leave whole, drop both of those in with the beets. Steam.

When the beets are done (no resistance when poked with a sharp knive), pull them out of the steamer and put them aside to cool. Pluck the garlic cloves out, mash them in a bowl and juice the lemon over it. Peel the beets ( trim off the ends and just rub in a towel you don't care about, the skin will slide right off ), and slice — I usually cut each beet in half and then make half-moon slices, larger beets get quartered. Let these cool completely

Put the beets in a bowl, add the onions and parsley. Chunk up the feta, add that. Pour over the lemon juice/garlic mix, drizzle on some olive oil, add pepper to taste. Combine well. Let sit in the fridge for a while.