Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese Salad

It must be Spring because I think I must have Spring Fever. This is a disease where you want to leave the real world behind and head on extended vacations, day dream a lot ...wouldn't you rather be sitting on a beach somewhere in Greece sipping ouzo, raki or Citron (kitron) and letting the world pass you by...I know that I would!!! It is no contest!!

Perhaps that is what all these nostalgic recipes of late are for me. Since I can't be on the beach in Greece, or hiking along the ancient trails I am bringing Greece to me in the way of food. In my previous post I grilled marinated goats cheese in grape leaves and now it is beet salad.

I LOVE beets but sadly rarely prepare them at home. I always have a jar of pickled beets, or beetroot as my British parents say, handy in the fridge at all times. Visions of red stained hands usually deter me from preparing them. When I was in Greece though they were always on the menu. I had a Greek salad of some kind every single day and a beet salad every second day..like clockwork. Sometimes the beets were just plain and sometimes a dressing was added along with onions or goats cheese.

Beets or beetroot are high in folic acid (great for pregnant women), potassium, calcium and antioxidants (betacyanin, which is what gives beets their rich red color). The leafy beet greens are even more nutritious than the roots. The greens contain significantly more iron, vitamin A, potassium and calcium than the roots. They have the highest sugar content of all vegetables, yet are very low in calories. For more information on beets, their cancer and heart disease fighting agents visit this site.

Over the weekend I had picked up some beets at the farmers market. I simply couldn't resist their tiny little tender globes.

**Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese Salad**

4 beets, red or yellow or both, peeled and stems trimmed

1 T olive oil

Kosher salt
2 T balsamic vinegar

1 T whole grain mustard

cracked pepper

kosher salt

1/4 cup olive oil

2 T chopped fresh mint

1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese

**********************************
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Drizzle whole beets with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with kosher salt. Roast for 35 minutes or until soft when pierced with a fork. Let cool.

Combine vinegar, mustard, pepper, salt. Whisk in oil. Adjust seasonings if necessary.
Slice beets thinly. Stack beets on a plate and top with crumbled goat cheese. Sprinkle with fresh mint. Drizzle dressing over the top and serve.