TC Recipe: Salad with Spring Beets, Goat Cheese, Cucumber, and Orange Dressing

May 21 2012

By Sous Chef Benjamin Nadolny
Suggested Pairing: 2011 Luminous Pinot Gris
Serves 2

Salad with Spring Beets, Goat Cheese, Cucumber, and Orange Dressing

About 3 weeks ago Ed and Jodee King described what they thought would be a delicious combination for a salad. It involved beets, goat cheese, orange dressing, and aged balsamic. I immediately put something together and ate all of it myself. Thank you Ed and Jodee! This beet salad made it onto the King Estate restaurant menu the next day. The earthy sweetness of the beets with the creaminess in the goat cheese pair real nice with the lovely rind notes in the Luminous. The brightness of the wine with the garden fresh cucumber creates a medium where the flavors of the orange and beet can balance out without overpowering one another.

Ingredients

Beets

2 large gold beets
2 garlic cloves
½ C oil
½ C water
salt and pepper

Dressing

½ C orange juice
¼ C Champagne vinegar
1 C olive oil blend

Salad

4 oz fresh goat cheese
1 C cucumber, peeled and large dice
¼ C baby arugula
¼ C pecans, toasted
2 oz aged balsamic vinegar

Preparation

Beets
Pre heat oven to 300 degrees. In an oven proof pot add the whole beets, garlic, oil, water, salt and pepper. Cover the pot with a lid or foil. Slow roast in the oven 1 hour or more until knife tender. When done, allow to cool. Peel and quarter the beets.

Dressing
In a small sauce pot reduce the orange juice by half. Let cool.

In a blender add the reduced orange juice, champagne vinegar, and oil. Blend well.

Salad
In a salad bowl put the beets, cucumber, arugula, and pecans. Toss with a little bit of salt and pepper. Then add enough dressing to coat. Plate the mixture. Top with the goat cheese and the aged balsamic vinegar.