BRATTLEBORO — On a recent trip to the Brattleboro Area Farmers' Market, I picked up some beets and carrots from Rebecca at Old Athens Farm. I have been buying vegetables from her for years now - her organic produce is always big, beautiful, and tasty.
It's also definitely more expensive than what you find in most grocery stores, so I wanted to find a way to make a little bit of it go a long way and make it the star of the show.
Putting this salad together is pretty simple: you peel and grate the carrots and beets, chop up some basil, mix a dressing, and then stir it all together. It can be served immediately or left to sit for a while, and it's great for potlucks and picnics, since there's no dairy.
The important thing here is to get down the basic idea, then play with the ingredients to find the proportions you like best.
In the several versions of this salad we made, my husband liked the ones with more vinegar, my 4-year-old wanted plain grated beets and carrots, and my favorite was the one heavy on the mustard and basil.
Serve alone, with bread, or, as we did the other night, with burgers and fresh corn.