Golden Beet Salad With Honeyed Goat Cheese & Spicy Candied Walnuts

*Recipe follows story

I loved Ben Harper in college.
OK.  I still love Ben Harper and am highly jealous of Laura Dern because she was married to my favorite soulful hippie.

I lived most of my college years by the words of Ben Harper, suffice to say, they were filled with rejection, fear of God, feeling oppressed and feeling depressed.  No one was stealing my kisses, or my virginity for that matter, and every day seemed like another lonely day - lost in Connecticut and missing NYC.

But I learned to love college.

Leaving the confines of Brooklyn and concrete was the best thing I ever did, even though my dad encouraged me to stay local and go to Kingsborough Community College - so I could live at home and charge down Flatlands Ave. on the B82 with a backpack and a Snapple.   

Cute.
Or, not so much.   

I left.

I left in search of taking a writing class with Wally Lamb and to find myself, like Dolores in She’s Come Undone.  And, let me be clear, I was no Dolores.  No man has ever sent me nude pictures and my dad did not abandon our family.  My life has been sunshine and rainbows when compared to Dolores Price - but I related to her sadness and confusion.  

And so, late August of 1998, we packed up the 1991 Plymouth Voyager and my whole family took me to University.  I was fully equipped with a mini-fridge, snacks, curtains, a shower caddy and framed family photos.

The first Corrado to go to college.  

My mom, dad, brothers and Cousin Maria took the pilgrimage with.  I cried when they left me.  I cried for 3 weeks after, which then inclined my father to make the trip up to Connecticut to visit me, 2 times a week, until I grew a pair and my sobbing subsided. 

The ride was 6-8 hours round trip.  Suffice to say my dad really loved me.

He and my mom were concerned with the fact that I was only eating animal crackers and pretzels and drinking Coca Cola by the liter. I was living off of the Costco supply they were kind enough to pack for me.

Week 4, I finally left my room - for purposes other than showering and going to class. 
My dad was no longer taking the Voyager out for a long spin to Connecticut.
In fact, when he called my room on Saturday mornings, I was out to breakfast.
With people.
College people.
That I met all on my own.   

Once I found friends, incense, alcohol, the college cafeteria, Ben Harper and Gospel Choir, my college life changed.  Sure I was overweight and had to accommodate my wondrous waistline with men’s jeans and my dad’s Dickies trucker shirts, but my new friends didn’t care.  I gained some confidence.  So much so, that I didn’t want to go back to Brooklyn at the end of my Junior year.  I couldn’t imagine going back to Brooklyn.  A friend of mine presented me with the opportunity to stay in Connecticut for the summer.  She enlisted my help to take care of a small working farm not too far from the University.

The summer of 2001 was life changing.  The summer of 2001 was when I played the Biggest Loser with myself - before there even was a show on NBC.  I didn’t even fully realize what was happening 

I got up and walked every morning.
I slowly worked my way to biking.
I cooked.
I hydrated with gallons of water.
I cleaned up pony poop.
I raked hay.  
There was lawn mowing and there were even sheep to keep me company.  

But Ben Harper was my highlight.  From the album Fight For Your Mind, I played, incessently, the song Gold To Me.

I always ironed and cleaned the house to it.  When Carolyn wasn’t on the farm, I would blast the song at top volume, while I drank wine and cooked myself to into a vegetable based oblivion.  I was living a cliche, even in 2001.  I imagined, one day, someone would tell me I was their piece of gold.  I imagined kisses would be stolen and I’d be pleased like I wanted to be. One evening, in mid-August, I went out to clean up the pony area and when I was walking back towards the house, I saw my reflection in the front door.  The dress I had on to do my daily pony poop scooping chores was huge on me.  There was a line between my ankle and my calf.  My leg didn’t look like a log anymore. I didn’t know what happened.  I mean I knew what happened, I was caring about myself.  But it was strange and scary. And I continued to keep caring.  And it’s been 10 years since that summer. 

When I was walking to the farmers market this past weekend, I thought about how I could walk for miles, now, and not feel it.  I thought about how I can eat my way through the best meal and food filled weekend and know it’s only food and nothing more.  

I’d been trying to hunt down golden beets for a month now.  However, I haven’t been successful in my hunt until this past weekend.  I came across the beets pictured above, and they sang to me.  And I sang back.  We went back and forth in Ben Harper lyrics, of course.  No, I didn’t sing out loud.  Although I do think the crunchy 8am farmers market crowd would’ve been totally down with it.

I kept it between me and my beets.   

I hear vegetables and they hear me.
I know Gold To Me is about love and being adored and shit like that, but these golden beets are love.  And I do adore them.  And they reminded me of my summer.  A summer that was amazing.     

So, I made a big fat roasted beet salad with candied walnuts and honey shallot vinaigrette and celebrated a bounty of gold I could not only eat - but a bowl I could stare into and see my life and little bit of love.  

For Beets

4 golden beets (peeled and cubed)
3 T. olive oil
4 oz. honeyed goat cheese (regular is cool too, if you can’t find one with honey)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

-Preheat oven to 400 degrees
-Toss beats with olive oil, salt, pepper and roast for 35-40 minutes until fork tender
-Put aside to cool
*reserve goat cheese for serving 

For Candied Walnuts 

1 c. walnuts (I use halves)
3/4 c. sugar
2 T. cayenne
Kosher salt

-Heat a large non-stick pan over a medium high flame
-Add sugar, walnuts, cayenne and salt
-Mix/stir around until sugar begins to melt, constantly moving/coating the nuts so they do not burn
-When nuts are completely candied, transfer to a silpat (or foil coated with non-stick spray) until they cool

For Vinaigrette

1/2 shallot (diced)
2 T. white balsamic vinegar
2 tsp. honey
3 T. extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper  

-Place all ingredients in a bowl and whisk well

For Assembling Salad

-Place beets on a large platter, sprinkle with candied walnuts and top with goat cheese
-Drizzle with vinaigrette and serve

*Makes a great side to summer pastas like pesto or to meat and chicken dishes
*Or, if you’re me, you’ll eat this with a honk of bread and glass of wine and call it a night