As tomato season recedes, I look for strategies to make the most of the tomatoes that are available as they become less than optimal. This Moroccan salad that combines beets with tomatoes is especially effective when dealing with out-of-season grocery tomatoes. It comes from a 1995 cookbook that’s a favorite of mine, Naomi Duguid and Jeffrey Alford’s Flatbreads and Flavors.
The two reds in question are the aforementioned tomatoes and beets. It’s an easy recipe. I’ve made a couple changes over the years of making it. I prefer to roast my beets rather than boil them. The flavor is sweeter and the color much more intense, which serves this dish beautifully.
As the tomato and beet juices mingle, the two colors become an enhanced reddish purple. Feel free to use any color of tomato you wish, though. The beets make all colors of tomato better. And the sweetness of the tomatoes tame the earthiness of the beets. I love this salad for end-of-summer and fall eating. Feel free to change up the herbs. I’ve made it with dill, which is wonderful. And I’ve also added a Moroccan spice blend of cumin, cinnamon, cardamom, and coriander to warm it up. White beans are a terrific addition too.
Evan’s version of “Salad of Two Reds”
Ingredients
- 1 bunch small to medium beets with tops
- 1 lb tomatoes, cut into wedges or cubes
- ½ small red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 clove garlic, minced or grated using a microplane
- Small handful coarsely chopped washed flat parsley leaves
- Small handful coarsely chopped washed cilantro leaves or 1 teaspoon ground coriander seed
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- Juice of ½-1 lemon according to taste
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
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Cut the tops off the beets and save for another use. Wash the beets well. Wrap them in foil, place on a baking sheet in a preheated 400 degree oven. Bake until tender when pierced with a paring knife, approximately 45 minutes. When cooked, remove beets to the kitchen sink and open the foil package and let cool. When beets are cool enough to handle, slip off the skins, and trim the stem end root end. Cut into ½ inch dice or into wedges.
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Add the beets to a bowl along with the tomatoes, red onion, garlic, parsley, cilantro and/or coriander if using. Add the olive oil, lemon juice, and salt and pepper and stir. Serve at room temperature or from the refrigerator with good bread and some salty cheese on the side.