Test Kitchen: Beet, Avocado, & Pea Salad

The more you cook, the more that bruised, wilted, and under-ripened produce just won’t do. It’s one thing if you plan to submerge your supermarket tomatoes in mozzarella or hide the mushy onions in a soup … but my favorite recipes and dishes call for a team effort, with each ingredient holding the others aloft like a grinning pyramid of high school cheerleaders.

Fortunately, there’s Southside Produce, located along Perkins Road between Essen and Bluebonnet. The family-owned market’s history dates back to a fruit stand—the first in Baton Rouge—run by Jake Pizzolato in the 1930s. Today’s location, owned and operated by Jake’s grandson Andy Pizzolato, occupies a full 300,000 square feet thanks to a renovation that debuted earlier this year—still open-air, still bustling with local shoppers.

Southside Produce slips easily into my shopping routine and keeps my pantry fresh and seasonal, without too much thought or time on my part. Really, though, I like the pleasant surprise of hearing the hardly staggering total at the cash register: “Only ten bucks? Well … would you mind if I gave you more?”

Below you’ll find a recipe I’ve adapted from the great Chef Yotam Ottolenghi that hits the sweet spot between late-spring and summer produce. And I sourced it all from Southside Produce.

Beet, Avocado, & Pea Salad 
(adapted from Chef Yotam Ottolenghi)

Yield: 4–6 as side

Ingredients:
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tbsp. sriracha
1/4 tsp. granulated sugar
freshly ground black pepper
salt, to taste
1/2 medium red onion, sliced thin
3 medium beets, peeled and sliced paper-thin
2 medium avocados, peeled, pitted, and sliced thin
4–6 mint leaves
1/2 cup cilantro leaves, loosely packed
1/3 cup alfalfa sprouts
1 cup frozen peas, blanched quickly and rinsed in cold water

Method:

1. In a large mixing bowl combine the olive oil, red wine vinegar, sriracha, salt, pepper, and sugar. Add the sliced onions and toss to coat. Set aside while preparing the beets.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the beets and blanch for 3 to 5 minutes or until somewhat cooked, while still retaining a firmness. Drain and rinse under cold water. Pat dry and add to the marinating onions. Let sit for thirty minutes.
3. To serve: spread half the beet mixture on a large plate or platter. Atop the beets, scatter half the avocados, mint, cilantro, sprouts, and peas. Add remaining beets and then remaining green ingredients. Drizzle with olive oil before serving.