Grapefruit, Beet and Burrata Salad

Rarely do I have inspiration come from so many places to meet for one delicious dish. Let me explain: One of the food clients I represent is TexaSweet Citrus, and as part of a program we were doing right here in Austin to promote Rio Star Grapefruit, we hosted a dinner at FINO with several bloggers and area food media to enjoy a dinner with some juicy, red grapefruit. At the dinner, one of the dishes was a salad with red grapefruit, beets and burrata. I've been hearing a lot about burrata in the past few months but hadn't tried it yet. It was such a unique, luscious texture and flavor that I was determined to use it myself. I recalled Jodi of Tasty Touring mentioning they sell it here in town at Antonelli's Cheese Shop, so I went there to pick some up.

Another embarrassing confession, I can probably count on one hand the number of times I've had beets, and I've never prepared them myself. This salad made me realize that they are, in fact, delicious! I asked Teddy from Fun With Your Food about how to prepare them, and she said simply peeling and cubing them like you would squash, tossing with olive oil and salt and pepper and roasting a while would yield delicious flavor. Thanks Teddy - you were right!

Finally, while flipping through the March issue of Food and Wine, I came across a recipe for Spinach Salad with Citrus and Roasted Beets. Um, perfect! So, I tweaked this recipe by using fresh spinach instead of steamed and added in a healthy dose of burrata. This salad was delightful, I hope you'll try it!

Grapefruit, Beet and Burrata Salad

4 small beets
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 Rio Star grapefruit
6 ounces fresh spinach or spring mix
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
4 ounces burrata cheese, torn in pieces

Preheat oven to 350. Peel beets and cut into 1-inch dice. Place on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper; toss to combine. Roast about an hour to an hour and 10 minutes until they are tender.

Meanwhile, combine sliced red onion and red wine vinegar in a bowl and let sit for about an hour.

Slice the top and bottom off of the grapefruit, then stand on one end and cut off the remaining peel with a knife from top to bottom. Next, use your knife to cut along the section and pop out. Continue until all the sections have been cut out. Here's a link with better instructions and photos: http://texasweet.com/About-Texas-Citrus/Quick-Sectioning-Tips

Combine the spinach with sectioned grapefruit and roasted beets. Reserve 3 tablespoons of the red wine vinegar from the onions and whisk with remaining olive oil, dijon mustard and salt and pepper to taste. Toss with salad. Toss in burrata pieces with your fingers and enjoy!

Salad and a sandwich picnic with a view at Mt. Bonnell