Giddy Up! Drink Down!

For my inaugural post on The {something} Project and my first blog post ever for that matter, I thought I would blab about the 3 major loves in my life:  wine, food, & midwest living.  In a nutshell, this picture captures it all.


Although it would be cool if I told you that I picked those sunflowers out of my prairie-like Kansas backyard, that would be a complete lie.  I don't have a backyard and I don't particularly like sunflowers.  It was kind of an odd evening.  Notice the color scheme?  I did not do this on purpose.  It felt like one of those days when you go shopping and everything you buy ends up in the same {hot} color-of-the-moment.  When you get home you wonder, 'How on earth and I going to incorporate 5 pieces of sea foam green into my wardrobe?'

The food on my plate?  I prepared a golden beet, goat cheese and arugula salad.  Trust me, it's much easier than it sounds.  Just roast the beet in the oven until it's softened, chop up arugula, and dress with a mustard parmesan vinaigrette....top the beets off with goat cheese, drizzle with olive oil and VOILA!

Golden beets are a little less sweet and less earthy than the traditional red beet.  

To roast: heat the oven to 400 degrees, chop off the leafy stuff from the beet, scrub it nice and clean, wrap it loosely in aluminum foil, and then roast for about 50-60 minutes.  If they look dry at any point, you can always add a bit of water in the foil.  Just don't let them scorch.  When they are done, let them cool and their skin should peel away nicely for you.  

For the mustard parmesan vinaigrette, it's simply a dash of this, and a dash of that until you can get it exactly they way you want it!  The quantities depend on your desired taste!  Dijon mustard + Apple cider vinegar + Extra Virgin Olive Oil + Freshly Grated Parmesan = Yum!

The vino to accompany the beet salad?  Why Miss Merry Edwards Sauvignon Blanc of course! You see, goat cheese and Sauvignon Blanc are a match made in organoleptic heaven!  Goat cheese=acidic!!  Therefore, you need a crisp white that is able to stand up to that acidity without seeming {fat}. "Fat" is the term us wine geeks like to use when describing a wine that lacks acidity.  Merry Edwards is one of the leading producers for Sauv Blanc in the United States!  Her wines are pricey, approx $45 retail, but the finesse, power and balance the wines possess is a rarity!

Cheers,
Whitney