Summer Cookout

A few weeks ago I realized I hadn't made a single beet, goat cheese and arugula salad this summer. After making it every week for pretty much the entire summer of 2008, I was shocked that I hadn't been craving it this year. I asked SP to buy a bunch of beets and set about making a meal to go with the salad.

In addition to the beet salad I asked SP to get fresh mozzarella for caprese salad:


SP's coworker brought us two gorgeous homegrown tomatoes that I used in the salad, along with basil from my garden. For the beets I cooked them on the stove in boiling water until they were tender, then tossed them with thyme, chopped shallot, lemon juice, and oil. When it was time to serve I crumbled goat cheese over the beets, which sat on a bed or arugula:


We also had cheeseburgers to round out the meal, but the focus was squarely on the fresh, summer vegetables.