Upland Cress Salad with Roasted Beets, Valencia Orange, and Chevre

I am guessing there's a good chance you may have never made a salad with Upland cress. This is because when I did a basic recipe search on this lesser known and quite beautiful green, it yielded virtually no results. Well, maybe a few, but honestly... they were nothing to speak of. Because the cress has a lively flavor full of spice and pepper, the sweetness of the orange seemed like a nice way to bring some balance to the dish. I roasted some beets, whisked up an orange vinaigrette, and fell in love. The weather has warmed up a bit (temporarily at least), and I'm so excited to reinvent myself saladwise. I think I've hit a wall in terms of my standard: greens, cherry tomatoes, avocado, various nut and/or cheese with a basic vinaigrette. Although that simple salad has served me well, it's time to get creative and celebrate the range of flavors in season right now. Upland cress has inspired me while carving itself out a new little piece of my heart.

                    1 bunch Upland cress
                    1 large or 2 smaller Valencia oranges, peel and white pith removed, sliced, then quartered
                    2 medium beets, roasted, sliced, then chopped to your liking
                    1/4 cup chevre
                    orange vinaigrette

First prepare the beets by poking them several times with a fork, wrapping them in foil, and roasting in the oven at 425 for about an hour or until the hardness resembles a baked potato. While the beets are roasting, wash and clean the greens well, and trim stems to your liking (I trimmed off the bottom third). Gently toss the cress with the oranges, beets and vinaigrette. Top with the chevre.

For the Orange Vinaigrette:
                    6 tablespoons olive oil
                    2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
                    1 tablespoon orange juice
                    a couple of grinds of pepper
                    a couple of grinds of salt

Whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl.

Makes two large or four small servings.