Roasted Beet & Whipped Goat Cheese with Arugula Dressed in Lavender Oil
- 2 cups canola oil
- 3 grams dried lavender
- Pinch of salt
- 10 small beets, roasted in a 350°F oven until tender when pierced with a knife
- 8 ounces goat cheese brought to room temperature
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, basil and rosemary
- 1 tablespoon cream
- Pinc
- h of salt & pepper
- 1 cup of arugula
- 1 ciabatta or baguette
- Olive oil
This hand-held appetizer combines beet arugula salad with goat cheese for an unexpected and delightful taste experience. These would make great canapes at a cocktail party.
Why Try? A new way of eating beets, which is on trend, thanks to the lavender oil.
Foodie Byte: We used tri-colored beets which gave us a colorful presentation. Roasting them brings out the sweetness of the beets.
Preparation
- In a saucepan over medium heat, bring the canola oil up to 100ºF. Remove from heat and add lavender. If you have an immersion blender, use it to pulse the mixture to release the oils from the lavender. Alternatively, grind the lavender with a mortar and pestle or simply crush it between your hands before you add it to the oil. Allow the oil to steep for ½ hour. Strain through a fine sieve.
- To make the whipped goat cheese, place the goat cheese and the cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Start the mixer on low speed so the cream doesn’t splatter, then increase the speed to high and whip for 30 seconds. Add the herbs, salt & pepper and beat just to incorporate. Set aside.
- To make the toasts, slice the bread into ½ inch thick slices and brush with olive oil. Toast over a hot grill.
- Place the toasts on a serving platter. Spread each toast with whipped goat cheese.
- In a bowl, combine beet slices and arugula and dress with the lavender oil and a few drops of balsamic vinegar. Season with salt & pepper.
- Place beet & arugula salad on top of each toast. Serve immediately.
ROASTED BEETS WITH WHIPPED GOAT CHEESE AND PISTACHIOS
Serves 4 as a tapa or side dish
I particularly like orange beets but any – red, orange, Chioggia, yellow or a mix – will be beautiful. The directions below say to whip the goat cheese in a standing mixer but a hand mixer or even a bowl, whisk and some determination will work just fine.
1 bunch of beets (about 3-4 medium)
olive oil
kosher salt and pepper
4 ounces goat cheese
1 ½ Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons chopped pistachios
- For the beets: Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Trim the tops and scraggly root ends off the beets – save those tops! They’re delicious sautéed.
- Rinse the beets to remove any excess dirt.
- Place the beets on a heavy-duty sheet of foil, drizzle with a little olive oil and a pinch each of salt and pepper.
- Wrap the beets up tight and place the packet on a sheet pan just in case there are any drips.
- Place in the oven and bake for at least 30 minutes until tender. If the beets are particularly large, they’ll probably need some extra time – mine were huge and took about an hour.
- Let the beets cool until they can be easily handled.
- When the beets are cool, oil your hands either by spraying with cooking spray or rubbing with some vegetable oil – this will help prevent any staining.
- Using a paring knife, trim the skins from the beets. They should pretty much slip off.
- Cube the beets and set aside until needed. (Roasted beets will keep, refrigerated, up to a week.)
- For the goat cheese: place the goat cheese in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
- On medium speed, begin to whip the cheese until creamy.
- With the mixer running, slowly drizzle in the 1 ½ Tablespoons of olive oil along with a pinch each of salt and pepper. (Whipped goat cheese will keep, refrigerated, for up to 1 week.)
- To serve: toss the cubed beats with a drizzle of good olive oil and a pinch each of salt and pepper.
- Place in a bowl and top with a scoop (or quenelle if you’re fancy) of the whipped goat cheese and a sprinkle of chopped pistachios.
Turntable Kitchen is a site devoted to connecting food and music. Check out the site this week to find out what the Musical Pairing is for this dish!

Roasted Beet Salad with Whipped Goat Cheese
adapted from Tyler Florence Family Meal
Serves 4 -5
For the dressing:
1 shallot, minced
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons real maple syrup
salt and pepper, to taste
For the beets:
2 large bunches of beets (golden and red)
olive oil
a few springs of fresh thyme
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
For the whipped goat cheese:
4 ounces goat cheese
2 tablespoons olive oil
To serve:
Marcona almonds, handful to garnish
1/2 cup baby arugula
1. Set aside one golden beet. Roast the rest of the beets: preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Wash and trim the beets and place them in the center of a baking sheet covered with a large piece of tin foil. Drizzle the beets generously with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle thyme leaves over the beets. Take another large sheet of tinfoil and place it over the beets. Crimp the edges of the two sheets of foil, creating a pouch. Place the beets in the oven and roast for approximately an hour to an hour and twenty minutes (depending on how large the beets are). To test, carefully open the pouch (watch out for the steam!) and pierce a beet with a fork. It should go in easily, but the beet shouldn't be falling apart. Once the beets are roasted, let them cool.
2. Make the dressing: combine all of the dressing ingredients in a medium-sized Tupperware. Tightly close the lid and shake to mix.
3. Peel the roasted beets and cut them into circles, half-moons or wedges. Peel the unroasted beet and use a mandoline to slice it very finely.
4. Make the whipped goat cheese: combine the goat cheese and olive oil in a large bowl and whisk together under light and airy.
5. To assemble: Smear the goat cheese in the center of 4-5 plates. Top with beets. Drizzle with dressing and sprinkle with almonds and arugula. Serve with a piece of baguette.
adapted from Tyler Florence Family Meal
Serves 4 -5
For the dressing:
1 shallot, minced
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons real maple syrup
salt and pepper, to taste
For the beets:
2 large bunches of beets (golden and red)
olive oil
a few springs of fresh thyme
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
For the whipped goat cheese:
4 ounces goat cheese
2 tablespoons olive oil
To serve:
Marcona almonds, handful to garnish
1/2 cup baby arugula
1. Set aside one golden beet. Roast the rest of the beets: preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Wash and trim the beets and place them in the center of a baking sheet covered with a large piece of tin foil. Drizzle the beets generously with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle thyme leaves over the beets. Take another large sheet of tinfoil and place it over the beets. Crimp the edges of the two sheets of foil, creating a pouch. Place the beets in the oven and roast for approximately an hour to an hour and twenty minutes (depending on how large the beets are). To test, carefully open the pouch (watch out for the steam!) and pierce a beet with a fork. It should go in easily, but the beet shouldn't be falling apart. Once the beets are roasted, let them cool.
2. Make the dressing: combine all of the dressing ingredients in a medium-sized Tupperware. Tightly close the lid and shake to mix.
3. Peel the roasted beets and cut them into circles, half-moons or wedges. Peel the unroasted beet and use a mandoline to slice it very finely.
4. Make the whipped goat cheese: combine the goat cheese and olive oil in a large bowl and whisk together under light and airy.
5. To assemble: Smear the goat cheese in the center of 4-5 plates. Top with beets. Drizzle with dressing and sprinkle with almonds and arugula. Serve with a piece of baguette.
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