Beet Salad with Goat Cheese:
What's Coookin'

Aired on Superstation WGN
Saturday, April 9 and July 9, 2005
Show 211

Innovative Chef John State at the California Grill in Walt Disney World's Contemporary Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, tosses together a tasty beet salad topped with goat cheese and ricotta. Beets are a great source of iron, beta carotene and vitamin C and can range in color from deep purple to bright red to white. While John roasts whole beets with rosemary and fresh oranges in one pan, in another pan, he pickles beets by bringing them to a gentle boil in spices, sugar and vinegar. John then combines the two contrasting tastes in a vinaigrette dressing with sun-dried cherries and watercress. Chef John tops his light and refreshing salad with a blend of goat cheese and ricotta. Garnished with honey-glazed pine nuts, which provide vitamin A, thiamin, riboflavin and niacin, this unique beet salad is a super healthy treat.

Golden & Chioggia Beet Salad with Goat Cheese, Sun –dried Cherry Vinaigrette and Candied Pine Nuts:

Ingredients:

3 to 4 roasted golden beets, ½-inch thick (recipe follows)
2 pickled chioggia beets, ⅝-inch thick (recipe follows)
2 ounces watercress or frisée
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
1½ cups sun-dried cherry vinaigrette (recipe follows)
½ cup goat cheese mixed with ricotta and salt and pepper
1 cup candied pine nuts (recipe follows)

Preparation for Salad:

Golden beets are peeled and sliced on a mandolin first, about 3/8-inch thick, to ensure even/consistent thickness.  After slicing gold beets, stack them, and square off slightly.  Then dice beets evenly. Chioggia beets are peeled and sliced on a mandolin, about 3/8-inch thick, to ensure same thickness as the golden beets.  Dice the same as the golden beets. In a medium bowl, place watercress, salt, pepper, and ¼ cup vinaigrette. In a separate medium sized mixing bowl, combine both types of beets, salt, and pepper.  Add ¾ cup vinaigrette. Toss beets well to coat and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Place ring mold in center of plate.  In ring mold, place watercress or frisée in bottom.  Place golden beets on top.  Beets should almost reach the top of the ring mold. Place goat cheese on top of beets with knife.  Spread out cheese to cover entire surface of beets with no beets showing. Remove mold. Place pine nuts on top of cheese, only in center.  Place pickled beets on side of plate and the sun dried cherry vinaigrette on beets. To serve, drizzle vinaigrette over beets and the plate.  Sprinkle pepper on top of beets.

Ingredients for Pickled Beets:

2 beets
1¼ cups apple cider vinegar
1¼ cups distilled vinegar
1¾ cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon pickling spice
½ tablespoon kosher salt

Preparation for Pickled Beets:

Wash beets thoroughly and dry. In a stockpot, combine the vinegars and sugar and dissolve over low heat. Add pickling spice and salt to brine and stir to combine. Place the beets into the brine and cook beets gently (let come to a boil and simmer about 45 minutes until tender).  Beets are done when a paring knife is pushed in with ease. Remove stockpot from heat and cool beets in liquid. Store beets in brine.  Do not reuse the brine.

Ingredients for Roasted Beets:

3 or 4 Chioggia beets, equal size, approx. 8 ounces
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
1 navel orange cut in half
½ rosemary, wash and dry first
1 sprig thyme, wash and dry first
water, as needed to fill pan ¼-inch deep

Preparation for Roasted Beets:

Scrub beets with cold water and vegetable brush, rinse, and dry.  Trim tail only; do not cut the ends off. Toss beets in a bowl with olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper. Place beets in a pan according to size, do not overcrowd.  Drizzle oil on top and squeeze oranges over the beets lacing each with juice. Place the previously squeezed oranges in the pan with the beets.  Place herbs and sprigs over the beets. Add ¼-inch water, cover pan with parchment and foil sealing tightly. Roast in 300°F convection oven or 350°F conventional oven until well done; could take up to 1 hour. (Know it is done by inserting a knife and it comes out easily) Remove foil and parchment and cool in liquid in wide container.

Ingredients for Sun-dried Cherry Vinaigrette:

¾ cup sun-dried cherries
1½ cups (approximately) apple cider for steeping
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons cabernet vinegar
1 teaspoon slightly ground and toasted cumin seed
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
½ cup olive oil
¼ cup minced red onion
2 tablespoons thinly shaved chives
Preparation for Sun-dried Cherry Vinaigrette:

Steep cherries in apple cider (enough to cover) until tender.  Strain liquid and cool cherries on sheet pan. Reduce liquid by ¾ and cool liquid. Combine vinegar and cherry liquid and season with cumin, salt, and pepper. Whisk in oil. Add onions, chives, and cherries.  Adjust seasoning to taste.

Ingredients for Candied Pine Nuts:

1 cup pine nuts
¼ cup diced unsalted butter
4½ tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon water
Kosher salt to taste
1½ tablespoons corn syrup
Preparation for Candied Pine Nuts:

In a non-convention oven at 350°F, place nuts on parchment lined sheet pan.  Toast for five minutes.  Remove from oven and keep close by. In a small saucepan, melt butter—do not clarify. Add sugar to the butter in small amounts, whisking constantly.  Add salt to taste and add water.  Cook mixture until bubbling over medium-high heat.  It should resemble hot lava. Place warm nuts in large mixing bowl.  Remove pan from stove and drizzle hot mixture around bowl. Rotate bowl in opposite direction very quickly.  Stir nuts like folding eggs whites. Coat nuts with syrup and season with more salt.  Transfer nuts to parchment lined sheet pan. Toast in 350°F for seven minutes, stir nuts with metal spoon, and rotate pan clockwise two turns.  Toast for eight minutes longer or until firm to touch. Remove pan from oven and stir again to keep nuts from sticking together.  Cool on sheet pan.  Store in layers between parchment in airtight container as humidity will ruin them.