When I first started exploring Meeker, one of the things that drew me to this little town was the presence of a little wine and cheese shop — Blanco Cellars. In a town our size, the fact that we had such a place was, for me coming up from Denver, mind-blowingly wonderful and no doubt played a role in my interest in moving here.
A couple of years later, that little wine and cheese shop moved locations, and shortly after that opened a summertime nosh spot on the back patio. You may remember it: Glou-Glou.
Now, not only did we have this great little wine and cheese shop, but we had a spot doing fantastic lunch options. There were soups, sandwiches with fun ingredients like prosciutto, burrata and arugula on focaccia and, best of all, beet salad.
Beets are a love-it-or-hate-it food, and I’m firmly in the former category. When done right, a beet is one of the most delicious things on earth — at least to me.
And this salad. It had arugula, my favorite green, roasted beets, hazelnuts, whipped honey goat cheese and a dressing of blood orange olive oil and Anjou pear balsamic vinegar.
Let me tell you: If a salad can be life-altering, this one was. Oh, do I miss it.
Since Glou-Glou closed, I’ve tried to recreate it, but it’s never quite right. Luckily, I get to count its creator, Vanessa Trout, as one of the amazing people I know here in this little community of ours.
So I reached out to see if she might be willing to share the details behind this masterpiece. Alas, like a lot of great food creations, the recipe lived in her head instead of on paper. But Vanessa has attempted to write it down for all of us to enjoy at home.
And if you’re going to be at the Meeker Classic Art Barn reception Thursday, you can taste it for yourself.
See you soon.
The Glou-Glou Beet Salad
Serves 4
4 handfuls arugula
3-4 roasted beets, quartered
2 tablespoons Anjou pear vinegar
2 tablespoons blood orange olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons toasted hazelnuts
1 tablespoon toasted candied pecans
4 ounces honey goat cheese, or plain goat cheese mixed with 2 tablespoons honey
Maldon sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, for finishing
Toss the roasted beets with the pear vinegar, blood orange olive oil, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper.
Arrange the arugula on a serving plate and scatter the beets on top. Using two spoons, make three or four small quenelles of goat cheese and place them around the beets.
Evenly distribute the hazelnuts and pecans, then drizzle everything with pear vinegar and blood orange olive oil. Finish with Maldon sea salt and freshly cracked pepper.
By ALEXIS HULL-STONE
Owner, Off the Olive Branch & On the Grapevine