beet and hazelnut salad

Honk if you love beets.

Even though I curse the fact that they'll dye anything and everything in my kitchen, I love beets (honk). If I grew a garden -- correction: when I grow a garden -- I will most definitely grow beets.

This recipe is loosely based on a similar combo of flavours we enjoyed at a little bistro a few months ago -- but since that was a few months ago, you'll have to bear with my reinterpretation.

salad with warm beets, toasted hazelnuts, and goat cheese
Serves 2

2 medium beets, greens removed and scrubbed
olive oil
mixed greens -- mix of lettuces, spinach, etc
handful of hazelnuts, toasted
a few ounces goat cheese -- enough for two
handful of fresh dill, roughly chopped
your favourite vinaigrette

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Rub some olive oil over the scrubbed beats. Wrap tightly in a couple layers of parchment paper, then a layer of aluminium foil. Place bundles in glass baking pan and bake until pierced easily with a fork, about 1 hour. Remove from oven and allow to cool a bit before handling.

Meanwhile, prep greens, (and toast hazelnuts). Peel beets when cool enough to handle and cut into slices. Toss greens in vinaigrette, mix in dill, and plate up on serving plates. Place half of the beet pieces on each salad plate, and top with half the hazelnuts and half the goat cheese. Season with freshly ground black pepper and serve.