Rainbow Beet Salad

Last Night's Dinner:

Roasted rainbow beets over arugula (or "rocket" as the Brits say,) with dried cranberries, pear, pecans, and warm goat cheese; drizzled with orange-apple cider dressing.

For the beets: wash and trim beets, drizzling with olive oil and sprinkling of salt and pepper; roast on a pan at 350-400 degrees (depending on your oven) for 35 minutes. (Note: I had an assortment of small rainbow beets from the farmer's market, which took only half an hour to cook, but if using larger traditional red beets then they will take longer to roast.) Let beets cool and remove remaining skin and slice into segments. I had ruby red "Red Ace" beets, golden "Burpee's Golden" beets, and a less-common variety with green skin and swirly purple flesh (Chioggas or Candy Canes?), each providing a distinct flavor to the dish. The sweet, sugary beets worked well with the peppery arugula, soft and chewy paired with a spicy crunch.

For the goat cheese: I used chevre, spooning a mound of soft cheese into a piece of Saran wrap, forming it into a thick patty, and popping into the freezer for a few minutes to firm up. In a shallow bowl I ground some walnuts and added a dash of Italian breadcrumbs (thus seasoned with salt, pepper, and parsley), removed the chilled cheese from the plastic wrap and rolled it in the nut-crumb mixture to cover it as breading. I then placed the cheese on a pan in the oven at 350 for 5-7 minutes (Note: check the cheese frequently to make sure it has not melted too much; you want it to retain its shape to serve as the centerpiece to the salad!) and use a spatula to transfer onto the plate. When you cut into the warm goat cheese oozes a bit onto the greens, the tangy cheese providing a nice contrast to the sweet beats and crunchy nuts.

For the dressing: Pour into a bowl two parts apple cider vinegar and one part champagne vinegar, stirring in (equal to that) orange juice. Whisk in extra virgin olive oil in a steady stream until the dressing achieves desired consistency, slightly thicker than juice *it should taste tangy-sweet. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Drizzle the dressing over the greens just before serving the salad. Orange and beets go together so well - this dressing is light and really freshens up the dish.

Enjoy!