Golden Beets with Chevre, Arugula and Baby Spinach

In chef school this week, we're learning about menus. I got stuck in a theory class, as opposed to a hands-on dessert class, which is much my own fault, since I somehow forgot when the first week of class was.  What can I say, this home ownership stuff is a lot to handle.

Anyhow, we learned that all ingredients in the name of a dish should be capitalized, as seen in the blog post title. Seems simple enough.

I could go on about how I find theory to be a bit of a drag, since I don't get to do any cooking, but instead I'll leave you with this little gem from my chef/teacher.

"A sorbet is a palate cleanser, designed for cleansing the palate." I pay good money for this!

OK, moving on. This delightful little salad was inspired by some golden beets I found at the farmer's market. Much to my delight, these little gems don't bleed like red beets, and they don't have that strong "iron" taste that the red beets do.

They do take a long time to roast, much like their red counterparts, however. I'd say it took close to 2 hours to have my done right, so be prepared for the time investment.

Golden Beet and Chevre Salad

3 Golden Beets, cut in half and roasted until tender

3 oz of chevre

Baby Spinach

Arugula

Toss baby spinach and arugula with some maple mustard dressing (below). Slice beets and fan out on plate, top with some of the dressed spinach and arugula, and a piece of chevre.

Maple Mustard Dressing

2 tbsp cider vinegar

1 1/2 tbsp Maple syrup

1 1/2 tsp Dijon Mustard

4 tbsp olive oil

Whisk together cider vinegar, maple syrup and Dijon mustard. Once well blended, slowly add in olive oil, whisking continuously. Serve immediately.

Chef's note: Grainy mustard would make a nice addition to this dressing, however, don't subsititute completely. The Dijon mustard helps to emusify, while the grainy mustard is not as strong, and gives nice texture. I would even put 1 tbsp of each type.

Also try this with toasted pecans :)