Beet, Carrot, and Apple Salad - Redux

This salad may not photograph well, but it's so good, it's worth a second look. I can't seem to get enough of it lately. I usually eat it in romaine spears, but sometimes, a bowl and fork are all you need. There are two reasons I decided to re-post this recipe. The first is that when I initially made it, I had chopped everything into matchsticks, and as tasty as it was, it was a bit unwieldy. The second reason is that, at the time, I was playing around with some samples of Japanese citrus juices I had received, and I'm assuming not many of you typically have them laying around in your pantry. 

I have since learned that running everything through the shredder attachment on the food processor works great - I had anticipated it turning to mush - and a great replacement for the Sudachi juice is something readily found at the grocery store, Lime Ponzu. If that doesn't strike your fancy, I'm sure a light soy sauce or tamari would work equally well. Honestly, I don't even bother measuring the dressing anymore, I just crush a clove of garlic into a measuring cup, pour in a little olive oil, then whatever else I happen to have on hand.

INGREDIENTS:

1 clove garlic

1/4 c olive oil

2 T white balsamic vinegar

1 T lime Ponzu (or tamari, soy sauce, etc.)

1 T Agave Nectar

1/4 t fine sea salt

1/4 t pepper

1 t crushed Pasilla Chile Pepper (or other)

3 beets

3-4 lg carrots

2-3 granny smith apples

1. Whisk together the dressing ingredients first, to give the flavors a chance to mix.
2. Wash and peel the beets, carrots, and apples (you can leave the peels on the carrots and apples if you want, but most of the apple peel won't go through the shredder); cut into large chunks and run through the shredder attachment on your food processor.
3. Toss together in a large bowl to separate and mix the strands (you don't want all the apple in one spot, the beet in another...), then pour the dressing over the top and mix again.
4. Best left to chill for a while before serving, so the flavors can blend - make sure to always mix from the bottom to re-dress, but plate using a fork or tongs so it's not too drippy.