Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Roast Vegetable & Goats Cheese Salad

I thought I'd start my food blog with an old favorite and one that is oft requested.  It's a lovely salad that can be served either warm or cold and goes beautifully with baked fish.

I dedicate this recipe to Lester Young.

2 large potatoes, chopped into large-ish dice
Half a butternut pumpkin, chopped in afore mentioned way
1 large red onion, cut into wedges
A few garlic cloves-skin left on
A bunch of baby beetroot or 2 large beetroots
A nice big wodge of fresh,peppery rocket or other nice salad leaves if you can't get rocket or you don't like it-
1 jar Meredith Goats Cheese
Olive Oil
Sea Salt
Freshly ground pepper
A lemon

Place your potatoes,pumpkin,garlic cloves and red onion on a baking tray. Drizzle some olive olive over the veg and season with salt and pepper.  Place in a hot oven- around 200.
Top and tail the beetroot. Place in a saucepan,cover with water and boil till cooked. I usually just stab a knife in the middle to see if they're soft. Drain the purple water and peel the beetroot-the skins will just slip off easily at this point. You may want to wear a pair of latex kitchen gloves so you don't stain and burn your hands. Once peeled, cut the beetroot into small pieces if using the large kind. Otherwise,serve whole if using baby beets.
Wash the rocket and shake off excess water.Place in a large salad bowl. Add the beetroot and roast veg and toss well. Squeeze the cloves of roasted garlic into the salad.
If you are using Meredith goat's cheese, pour the lovely flavoured oil over the salad. Break off pieces of cheese and add to the salad. Finish the salad with a good squeeze of lemon and a good seasoning of salt and pepper.

Note! If using another brand of goat's cheese, you'll have to whip up a salad dressing.
Try this one-
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 3 tablespoons of good olive oil
  • sea salt
  • pepper
  • a touch of caster sugar to balance the flavours 
Place all ingredients into a jar,close the lid and shake the fuck out of it. It's ready.

2 comments:

  1. Fab dish, Mags. Arky is still asking me to make it for her. Now I have the recipe, there are no more excuses

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  2. None whatsoever. Just try and get good goat's cheese. I just can't go past any of Meredith Dairy's goat cheeses. They are all sublime.

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