Summertime in Scottsdale, AZ. is a bit brutal when the temperatures hit 115 F and above and it’s too hot to cook. However, one positive aspect is we have fantastic farmers markets which provide us with delicious produce. With that being said this is the time of year to get creative with your salads. I know its super easy to just throw some lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes into a bowl and toss with dressing. However, if you just take a few extra minutes you can turn your salad into a work of art. Last night I sliced and roasted a few sweet yellow beets with some tangerine peels to help infuse the citrus flavor into the beets. As the beets were cooling I sliced the tangerines into rounds. Once the beets were cool enough to handle I layered them on a platter alternating rows of beets then tangerines. I then sprinkled them with pomegranate seeds, cucumber ribbons, roasted pecans, spring mix and fresh herbs then drizzled with a refreshing yogurt, lemon mint dressing. This salad wasn’t just delicious it was vibrant in color that just screamed refreshing. So when it just too hot to cook get creative with your salads.
