Salt Roasted Beets With Whipped Goat Cheese Food

SALT-ROASTED BEETS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Remove greens from beets (reserve if making Amanda Cohen's Beet-Green Pesto). Scrub the beets clean. Place them in a deep roasting pan, then bury them completely in salt and pack it down. Bake 1 hour.
• Remove beets from oven. Insert a paring knife through the salt crust and into a beet to check for doneness. (On the off chance they're not done, return them to the oven and check every 10 minutes.) Crack the crust with a spoon, then remove the beets to a bowl, scraping the salt off them. Careful, they'll be very hot! (You can save the salt for future beet-roasting-just get rid of the clumps and store in an air-tight container in the fridge or freezer.) Rinse beets in water to remove any lingering clumps of salt. Allow to cool so they can be peeled.
• Peel beets with a paring knife, starting with the light-colored ones first, so you don't stain them with juice from the darker beets. First cut the root end, then peel the skin. The skin should peel off easily-a sign they're cooked properly. Cut into quarters, or, if they're smaller, leave whole.
• Arrange beets on a platter and serve.

ROASTED BEETS WITH GOAT CHEESE AND WALNUTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C).
• Spread walnuts onto a baking sheet and toast in the preheated oven until the nuts turn golden brown and become fragrant, about 45 minutes. Watch the nuts carefully because they burn quickly. Set walnuts aside to cool to room temperature.
• Turn oven up to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Crinkle up a piece of aluminum foil and place it into an oven-safe dish (such as a pie dish) to act as a disposable rack. Place beet onto foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the beet just starts to turn tender, about 45 minutes. Wrap beet in aluminum foil and let cool to room temperature.
• Turn oven temperature up to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C).
• Peel beet with a sharp paring knife; peel skin from beet. Cut beet in half and cut halves into thick half-moon-shaped slices.
• Drizzle walnut oil in a baking dish and brush oil over the bottom of the dish; arrange beet slices in the dish in a single layer. Crumble goat cheese into the empty spaces and over beets. Sprinkle with kosher salt and black pepper.
• Bake beet and cheese in oven until beet pieces are sizzling and the edges of the cheese are slightly browned, about 15 minutes. Cool slightly, about 10 minutes.
• Drizzle warm beet and cheese with vinegar and top with roasted walnuts, beet greens, and chives. Serve warm.

ROASTED BEETS WITH GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.*
• Wash the beets. Trim off all but about 1 inch of the beet greens (you can save them for later and use them in salads). Leaving on the stem helps keep the beets from "bleeding" out red juice in the oven.
• Rub the beets lightly with olive oil. Place the beets in a covered oven proof dish. (You also can wrap each beet individually in aluminum foil and place them on the oven grates).
• Roast the beets for 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours, depending on the size and freshness, until tender when pierced with a fork. Check every 10 minutes until tender; we've found medium sized beets take about 1 hour.
• Allow them to cool for a few minutes. Then place them under cool water and rub off the skins with your fingers. You can serve immediately, or refrigerate the whole beets until serving and serve them cold.
• To serve, slice the beets into rounds and arrange them on a plate. Drizzle the top with olive oil and sprinkle with 1 pinch kosher salt. Top with goat cheese dollops and thinly sliced chives.

ROASTED BEETS AND SHALLOTS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place beets and shallots in a large bowl. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, and season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Toss well, and transfer vegetables to a large roasting pan.
• Cover pan with foil, and place in oven. Bake until beets are tender when pierced with a knife, 50 to 60 minutes.
• Remove from oven, and let stand until cool enough to handle. Peel beets and shallots, and cut beets into 1-inch pieces. Combine in a serving bowl. Add sherry vinegar, remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and toss well to combine. Serve immediately, or set aside until ready to serve.