Cleansing.  

It’s no secret.  By now, most of friends and clients know I’m currently taking a break from the gluteness rituals of summer…steaks on the grill, wine in the backyard, ice cold martinis on the deck, after dinner ice cream treats, and yes – my favorite summer morning bliss, ice coffees.  I know, I know – a very sad extraction of all things that makes one happy in the summertime.  But, I was looking for something a little different.  I needed a break from my summer ‘normalcy’, with a sense of clean living.  So, I’m cleansing.  Amidst a 21 day cleanse which includes a wide variety of, and might I add plenty, veggies with a handful of fruits the first 10 days, I’m coming into the 11day stretch which now loads me up with a healthy supply of lean proteins.  And, I have to tell ya…I feel pretty darn good.  Outside the occasional tug at my palate for A GLASS OF WINE!, I’m doing pretty good. 

With that in mind, I thought I’d share a recipe from my Standard Process cleanse that reminded me of one delicious pairing I’m going to eat once I’m through the pearly gates of cleansing.  

Beets & Riesling!  

One of my favorite flavor combinations when it comes to pairing wine to veggies.  

Beets.  Did you know that they’re loaded with a zillion reasons to eat more of them?  Here’s just a few…including liver purification (hello? #detoxretox!), not to mention, they’re nature’s answer to Viagra.  Who knew beets were just about one of the best veggies out there?  

Speaking of, here’s the beet recipe I made today.  Although not paired to Riesling this afternoon, I will be making this recipe again so that I can enjoy it with the proper libation.  

Beet Salad

• 1# beets (roasted, peeled & chilled)
• 4 sticks celery finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons apple juice
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 4 scallions, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• celtic sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions:  Mix beets & celery with apple juice.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients.  Toss the celery/beets with half of the liquids.  Then drizzle the remaining liquid over the salad.  Chill for 2 hours & serve. 

Voilà!  A delicious summer salad to enjoy as a side salad or as your main plate (if you’re eating light.)

The Pairing:

2011 St. Urbans-Hof Ockfener Bockstein Kabinett Riesling  

Wow!  You are gonna love this wine.  So flippin’ delicious.  Notes of peach, apricot, creamy apple pulp, and spice cake surround the palate.  All at once the ripe fruit notes lift with these gorgeous aromas of freshly picked blue and white flowers, violet!  Yum, Yum, Yum!  I promise you, you’ll never go back to drinking U.S. Riesling, once you’ve put your lips on some of these serious Germans.  Cost for this little gem, just under $30…and worth it!  #certifiablydelish
I’m thinking this is the perfect pairing to my little beet salad due to the crispy crunch of the celery and the juicy sweet notes of the beets.  The Riesling with lift the sugars of the beet, yet mellow with the earthy celery and scallion bits.  Deeeelightful.  Trust me, once you pair Riesling to beets, you’ll never go back to drinking anything else with this heart healthy veggie again!

Enjoy!  

Psst, want more delicious beet recipes, including a delicious beet dessert?  Check out my friend, Amanda Paa’s blog, featuring THIS scrumptious chocolate beet cake!