Beetroot & Goats Cheese Salad w/Orange Marmalade Vinaigrette

I just adore beetroots.   I picked up a couple of nice bunches when we were in town the other day at the Green Grocers . . . a bunch of regular ruby coloured ones  and a beautiful bunch of golden globes.  Call them heirloom if you must . . . but . . . they're beetroot and they're tasty, and they're pretty to look at.

Then we had lunch in Cafe Rouge and I had the most delicious Goat's Cheese Salad ever . . . I just adore goat's cheese, which is pretty amazing for a gal who grew up eating Velveeta and was afraid to eat anything stronger.  I've come a long way baby!  Their salad was quite simply baby greens with some slivered roasted red pepper on top, and some balls of soft goats cheese . . . and a tangy French Vinaigrette.  It was lovely.

I kept thinking about it once I got home and knew that I had to do something similar here in my English Kitchen . . . but I wanted to incorporate some beetroot into it if I could . . .

 

Something magical happens when you marry beetroot and goat's cheese together.   These two things are the perfect partners . . . the beetroot, all sweet and earthy . . . the goats cheese, so rich and tangy . . . the two together are a pretty unbeatable combination.

I decided to marry them in a salad, but not just any salad.  A salad composed of baby salad greens, fresh and crisp from the garden . . . the beetroot roasted in it's peel until tender, and then sliced once cooled atop the salad . . . the goat's cheese rolled into balls and then into toasted walnuts . . . three perfect little globes crowning the greens and beetroot . . . but wait . . . it's gets better . . .

I added an Orange Marmalade vinaigrette . . . delicious.   A nice wallop of Dijon mustard . . . white wine vinegar and olive oil and then a huge dollop of fine shred orange marmalade . . . ohhh baby . . .you know what I like!

This was the perfect dressing for this salad.   The Orange Marmalade adds a touch of sweet and a hint of bitter, then the heat of the mustard and tang of the vinegar, along with the richness of the olive oil.  I think I've created a monster because I shall be craving this for days to come!

*Roasted Beetroot and Goat's Cheese Salad*
with an Orange Marmalade Vinaigrette
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

Earthy and rich and tangy delicious.  This is a winner all round.

150g log of soft Goat's Cheese (about 3/4 cup)
4 medium sized beetroot, washed, trimmed and unpeeled
6 cups of baby salad greens (try to get a nice mix including baby
beetroot greens)
a large handful of walnuts, toasted and then chopped

For the Vinaigrette:
4 tsp Dijon mustard
3 TBS good quality olive oil
3 TBS white wine vinegar
2 TBS good quality orange marmalade
(fine shred if possible)
pinch salt

1 TBS freeze dried parsley leaves

You will need to roast your beetroot early in the day or the night before.  Take a large sheet of aluminum foil.  Place the beetroot into the centre of the foil.  I used a mixture of golden and red beetroots.  Pull the side up over the beetroot and seal them in the foil.  Place them into a preheated 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5. oven and roast them for 45 minutes to an hour until they can be pierced easily with a sharp knife.  Remove from the oven and the foil.  Allow to cool to room temperature.  Store in the fridge until you need to use them.

Make the dressing by combining all of the dressing ingredients in a jar with a lid and giving them a good shake together. 

Divide your goats cheese into 12 equal sized pieces.  Roll each into a ball and then roll them in the chopped toasted walnuts.  Chill until you are ready to serve the salad.

Divide your salad greens amongst 4 chilled salad plates.  Peel and slice the beetroot.   Arrange an equal amount on top of each plate of greens.  Place 3 walnut coated balls of goats cheese on top of each.   Give your dressing a good shake again and the drizzle an even amount over each salad. Serve immediately.