Just Beet It...

I have a new love of roasted beets!  Have you made them before?  They are so earthy and fantastic-tasting...especially with goat cheese.  Last year, I roasted some because I found a recipe using a citrus vinaigrette and goat cheese, and it was very enjoyable for those of us who like roasted beets.  (I can't help but think of Monica's face when she tried the beets, though- it was the most awesome combination of "that's disgusting, but I'm so sorry I don't love your beets"  that I've ever seen. Love you, Monica! :) 

But back to the exciting food- Chef Brent kicked the beet salad up a notch this year.  You roast the bulbs by cutting the stems off, adding olive oil and salt, then wrapping them in foil.  Roast in a hot oven for about 45 minutes until tender.  Cool for a few minutes, then use a paper towel to rub the skin right off the beets.  And if you have disposable gloves, they are a good option here- beets are very colorful!  Okay, here comes the good part:

Slice the Beets

Using a little biscuit cutter or something like that, cut your beets into pretty circles

Blend some goat cheese with a bit of heavy cream to make it spreadable, then pipe it or spoon it onto the first beet layer.  Then add another round of beet, then another round of goat cheese, etc...

Once you have the layered beet/goat cheese mixture, let it chill while you cut orange segments.  When we took the beets out of the fridge, the beets had colored the goat cheese- so pretty!  Just quarter the beet stack and layer it on top of salad with the orange wedges.  Our salad this day was from the garden- arugula, chives, parsley, beet greens... then Brent added chopped walnuts, balsamic vinaigrette, salt, and a little olive oil.  It was so so yummy!  

I tried to make one at home and it wasn't nearly as nice- looking, but the taste was very enjoyable.  It did have roasted beets, after all!  Now the question, if we make this at the cafe, what are the chances you would try it?  ;)