Roasted Beet, Cucumber, Tomato and Feta Salad

In my mind, this salad was going to turn out better than it did in reality. How does the saying go? A team is only as strong as its weakest link? Well, the cucumbers were the weakest link for this salad. The beets, tomatoes, feta, basil and white balsamic vinaigrette were delicious and complementary. The cucumbers stood out like an angsty teenager standing in the corner refusing to socialize. (Although the beets did color them a gorgeous red as you can see in the picture.)

My vinaigrette was adapted from two recipes I found online: one from a blog called Loulies, and one from a blog called Cafe Johnsonia. While it tasted great, it was too oily once it was on the vegetables. The recipe below is how I made mine, but I would recommend decreasing the amount of olive oil.  

So the problem I am presented with is that not only do I have two cucumbers left, but what am I going to do if I get more cucumbers from the CSA this week?!

Roasted Beet, Cucumber, Tomato and Feta Salad
Serves 2

Ingredients

1 bunch beets, stalks removed (except about 1 inch) and peeled (I know most people like to roast the beets and then peel them afterwards. I just can't get behind that preparation. I prefer to peel the beets prior to roasting.)
Extra virgin olive oil
1 cucumber, cut into rounds, then quartered
1 bag cherry tomatoes, quartered (my friend and former roommate, Lilly, used to buy bags of Nature Sweet cherry tomatoes all the time, so now whenever I buy them, I think of her. Hi, Lilly!)
Handful of basil leaves, cut into chiffonade
White Balsamic Vinaigrette (recipe below)
1-2 oz crumbled feta chesse

1. Preheat the oven to 425. Place the beets in a piece of aluminum foil and pour about a tablespoon of olive oil over them. Wrap up the foil tightly and place the package on a baking sheet. Roast in the oven for 25-40 minutes until tender. (The cooking time obviously depends on how big your beets are. Mine were tiny, so only took about 25 minutes.)

2. Meanwhile, combine the cucumbers, tomatoes and basil in a large bowl. When the beets are done and have cooled slightly (you could let them cool completely, but I am incredibly impatient), cut them into bite-sized pieces and mix in with the other vegetables. Add a little of the vinaigrette, mix and taste. Add more vinaigrette if desired. Add the feta on top (unless you don't care if it turns pink, then mix it right in!).

For the vinaigrette

1 shallot, finely diced
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
2/3 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

1. Whisk the shallot, mustard and vinegar together. Slowly whisk in the olive oil, then add the salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning.