Balthazar Beet Salad Food

ROASTED BEET SALAD WITH WALNUTS, GOAT CHEESE & HONEY-DIJON VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, shallots, salt and pepper. Whisking constantly, slowly add the oil in a steady stream. (Alternatively, add all the ingredients to a jar, cover with the lid, and shake vigorously to blend.) Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
• Place the greens in a large bowl, drizzle with about half of the vinaigrette and toss to combine. Add as much of the remaining vinaigrette as desired and toss again. Arrange the greens on a large platter or divide onto plates, then top with beets, walnuts and goat cheese. Serve immediately.
• Note: If you'd like to roast your own beets, you'll need 1 bunch of medium beets (about 3). Preheat oven to 425°F and set an oven rack to the middle position. Wipe or scrub the beets clean, then trim stems down to one-inch (leave "tails" on). Place the beets on a large piece of aluminum foil, drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, then wrap foil around the beets to form a neat packet. Roast directly on a rack in the middle of the oven until tender, about 1 hour. Test for doneness by piercing the largest beet with a knife. If it enters easily, it's done. Unwrap the beets and let sit until cool enough to handle. Use your hands or a paring knife to peel the skin, then cut into wedges.
• Make-Ahead Instructions: The vinaigrette can be made up to 4 days ahead and stored in the refrigerator. Before serving, let sit out at room temperature for about 30 minutes, and then shake to re-emulsify.

RIAD'S BEET AND MACHE SALAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place a sprig of thyme on top of each beet, season with salt and pepper to taste, and drizzle each beet with 1/4 teaspoon olive oil. Wrap each individually in aluminum foil. Coat bottom of a small cast-iron skillet evenly with 1 cup salt. Place skillet in oven, and roast beets until tender enough to be pierced with a sharp knife, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Allow to cool, and peel skin off beets by rubbing with a paper towel.
• Quarter leeks lengthwise, without cutting through the root end. Tie leeks together in a bunch with kitchen string.
• Prepare an ice-water bath. Bring medium pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch haricots verts until tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove haricots verts from pot with a strainer or slotted spoon, refresh in ice bath, and drain. Blanch leeks in same pot until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain, and cool to room temperature. Cut leeks through the root end, to make eight quarters; set aside.
• Heat remaining 1/2 teaspoon olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add walnuts; toast until fragrant. Season with salt.
• On individual plates, thinly slice 1 beet per plate with a mandoline. Season beets with salt and pepper. Arrange haricots verts and leeks on top of beets, then add mache. Drizzle vinaigrette over each salad. Place two slices of goat cheese on each salad plate, and sprinkle with toasted walnuts. Serve.

BALSAMIC ROASTED BEET SALAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Wrap the beets individually in aluminum foil and place them on a sheet pan. Roast them for 50 minutes to 1 hour, depending on their size, until a small sharp knife inserted in the middle indicates that they are tender. Unwrap each beet and set aside for 10 minutes, until cool enough to handle. Peel the beets with a small, sharp knife over a piece of parchment paper to prevent staining your cutting board.
• Meanwhile, whisk together the vinegar, olive oil, mustard, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and set aside. While the beets are still warm, cut each one in half and then each half into 4 to 6 wedges and place them in a large mixing bowl. As you're cutting the beets, toss them with half of the vinaigrette (warm beets absorb more vinaigrette), 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Taste for seasonings.
• Place the arugula in a separate bowl and toss it with enough vinaigrette to moisten. Put the arugula on a serving platter and then arrange the beets, almonds, and goat cheese on top. Drizzle with additional vinaigrette, if desired, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and serve warm or at room temperature.

BALTHAZAR SALAD

Steps:

• Roughly chop the lettuces and mix with fennel and radish.
• Blanch asparagus and haricots verts in boiling water until tender, 6 minutes. Transfer to ice bath, then drain.
• Add the asparagus and haricots verts to the greens. Separately, combine vinaigrette ingredients, shake and dress salad. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Divide the salad among 6 plates, topping each with a slice of ricotta salata, a wedge of avocado, some julienned beet and lemon zest. Finish with a pinch of breadcrumbs.