Maggie Beer’s roasted beetroot salad with thyme, walnut and goat’s cheese
“I remember the first time I ever served goat’s curd for a lunch. It was a long, long time ago after a trip to France where I’d bought a bottle of amazing walnut oil. Gabrielle Kervella from Western Australia was a pioneer in making fresh goat’s curd of such quality and it was available for the first time in Adelaide. I simply made a mound of it, drizzled it with the aforementioned walnut oil and toasted walnuts and served it with some roasted beetroot and leaves from the garden. I have to say it was the equal of anything I had eaten in France. This is just an extension of the simplicity of that dish,” writes Maggie Beer in her new book Maggie’s Recipes for Life.
Based on the latest scientific research and with the help of one of the world’s leading Alzheimer’s researchers Professor Ralph Martins, Maggie has created more than 200 recipes that help provide the nutrients we need for optimum brain health. The proceeds from the cookbook will be shared between the Maggie Beer Foundation and the Lions Alzheimer’s Research Foundation.
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
- 3 small–medium yellow beetroot
- 3 small–medium purple beetroot
- 3 small–medium white or red beetroot
- Rock salt
- 18 sprigs thyme
- 60 g walnuts
- 6 large thin slices sourdough bread, or similar
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
- Sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons vino cotto or balsamic vinegar
- ½ cup young beetroot leaves or rocket
- ½ cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
- 200 g fresh goat’s cheese, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 tablespoons walnut oil
- 2 tablespoons verjuice
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 165˚C (fan-forced).
2. Tear 9 pieces of foil large enough to wrap each beetroot. Weigh the beetroot and work out 6% of the total weight (for example, if the beetroots weigh 100 g in total, you will need 6 g rock salt). Divide the salt among the pieces of foil, top with the beetroot and 2 sprigs of thyme, then wrap up each beetroot to seal. Place on a baking tray and roast for 1 hour or until a skewer inserts easily into the centre of the beetroot. (Remember that the beetroot will continue to cook while cooling.) Remove from the oven and stand until cool.
3. Increase the oven temperature to 180˚C (fan-forced). Place the walnuts on a baking tray and toast for 8–10 minutes. Pour into a clean tea towel and rub their skins off while still warm.
4. Brush both sides of the bread with a generous amount of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on a baking tray in a single layer and toast for 8–12 minutes or until golden. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
5. Unwrap the cooled beetroot and rub their skins off – they should come off easily. (You may choose to wear a pair of disposable gloves to keep your fingers from turning purple.)
6. Take 2 small bowls and place 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon vino cotto into each. Cut the beetroot into quarters or rounds and place the red and purple pieces of beetroot into one bowl and the yellow into the other. Toss to coat well.
7. To serve, scatter the beetroot leaves or rocket over a large serving platter. Top with the beetroot, parsley leaves and walnuts. Break the toast into shards and scatter over the top, followed by the goat’s cheese. Place the walnut oil and verjuice in a small jar, season to taste, then seal and shake well. Pour over enough dressing to just coat the salad. Serve immediately.
Note: Walnuts and walnut oil will provide you with protein, polyunsaturated fatty acids, manganese and copper.
This is an extract from Maggie’s Recipe for Life by Maggie Beer with Professor Ralph Martins, published by Simon & Schuster Australia, RRP $39.99. Photo credit: Dragan Radocaj