Readers of The Bitten Word cooked every recipe in the September 2013 Bon Appetit magazine. Here's their take on Carrot and Beet Slaw with Pistachios and Raisins.
Matt Shearin: I was a little skeptical of this dish as I had not had beets since I was a kid, but it turned out great. It looks wonderful on a plate (very colorful), has a ton of complimentary flavors, and it's healthy as well! Putting it all together was pretty easy, though julienning the beets was a bit of a pain. I'd definitely make it again.
Danielle: This recipe was great, pleasantly crunchy with a nice balance of acid and sweetness. When I make this again I will shred the carrots and beets to cut the prep time in half.
Linda Foley: This dish was beauty personified. I purposefully purchased organic everything, to ensure the vegetables really shinned; the dollar investment paid off. I deviated from the recipe on the size of my julienne vegetables. However, it did not detract from the taste or the prettiness of the dish. So go rustic on the cut. There was a couple of things I’d change going forward; I’d keep the pistachios whole and add another ¼ cup, as these were lost when chopped up, but when you did get a larger chunk it really added to the taste, additionally my mandolin incident caused my raisins to sit in the garlic and white wine for 3 hours rather than 1, and this caused them to be plump and scrumptious! A happy accident. I was able to share this with friends and we all thought what a great new healthy dish to bring to a party, it is something you could easily pull together with minimal effort once everything is prepped in advance.
Ginny: A nice combination of flavors and crunchy texture. My significant other is not generally a fan of raisins or beets, but he thought this dish was fantastic! Shock and awe!
Bonnie: A lot to julienne-- even with a mandoline, carrots are difficult. If we make this again, I might buy matchstick carrots in a package. Pistachios contributed little flavor -- we'll try salted if we make this again. Great flavor overall but I'm not sure it is better than other, easier slaws. The color is a wow factor though!
Melanie: Interesting combination in theory, but the julienned vegetables are a little awkward to eat together with the raisins and chopped pistachios, so unfortunately the flavors don't really burst together. A course grate might be better (and we would use less red pepper next time). We substituted rice wine for white wine vinegar, and luckily had most ingredients on hand (vegetables, pistachios, herbs from our garden), otherwise it might be bit much to get together for a raw side dish.
Natalie: While making it may prove to be a little bit of a challenge if you lack knife skills or a julienne peeler, this is a tasty and refreshing salad that pairs wonderfully with seared pork (and would probably also be delicious with chicken and certain kinds of fish). The sweetness of the raisins adds a nice balance to the acidity of the vinegar, and the hint of spiciness from the crushed red pepper adds an unexpected dimension.
SaucyGander: The recipe was one of the simplest I have attempted. Yet, the minimalism made me really pay attention to the colours, textures and flavours. Making a simple slaw became a feast for the senses. Playing around with heirloom carrots, and tiny red and golden beet, I ended up with something that was like a sketch, a tangential idea for a carrot and beet slaw.
Ari: Wow, this recipe makes a lot! Enough to be a potluck side for 10-12 rather than the 6 servings named. We loved how the slaw blended into a new whole rather than tasting like either beets or carrots. The pistachios added a nice earthy crunch to balance the sweet of the beets and and carrots and the brightness of the dressing. We substituted fresh jalapeño for the dried hot peppers since we have lots from our CSA. I also used the food processor to shred the carrots and beets since I don't have a mandoline and have been having some elbow trouble."
Leslie: It was extra fun to get this recipe since Ava Gene's is only 40 miles away and I can actually go there and try their version! The salad was delicious and fun. The pistachios added a nice element but as far as we were concerned the mint was a no show. The finished salad looked very much like the picture in the magazine. Now to go try the real thing!
Nicole C.: This lightly-dressed slaw is the perfect side for a BBQ, but with it's jewel tones and earthy flavor it would be just as at home on the Thanksgiving table.
Get the Carrot and Beet Slaw with Pistachios and Raisins recipe at Bon Appétit