Beetroot and Goats Cheese Stacks

An elegant, vibrant salad that celebrates the season with a burst of color and flavor. Effortlessly prepared yet indulgently satisfying, it combines earthy undertones with fresh, crisp textures and a harmonious balance of sweet and savory notes. Perfect for elevating any occasion into a culinary experience.

Ingredients:

12 small to medium beetroots, roasted and skin peeled

about 500 grams of goats cheese, you can use a mix of goats cheese and cottage cheese if you prefer

4 tablespoons honey

small bunch of chives, chopped finely - about 4 tablespoons

1 handful of thyme leaves, stripped off the stalk, reserve a few stalks for garnish; Keep aside 2 teaspoons for the dressing and about a teaspoon for the cheese mix.

12 toothpicks (optional)

For the dressing:

1/2 a cup of extra virgin olive oil

4 tablespoons walnut oil (or EV olive oil)

4 tablespoons red wine vinegar

4 tablespoons wholegrain mustard

4 tablespoons finely chopped walnuts

2 teaspoons fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme

Salt and pepper to taste

Garnish:

Thyme stalks

Extra chopped walnuts

Method:

To roast beetroot, cover each beet individually with aluminium foil. Place in a tray and in the over at 200 deg C for 35 to 40 minutes.  You will know it is done when you are able to insert a skewer into it and it goes through. Let it cool.  Once cool, remove aluminium foil and slip the skin off the beet using your fingers. You might want to use gloves as the beetroot will stain your fingers.

Mix the goats cheese, honey, chives and thyme. The mix is thick and spreadable.

Slice each beetroot to 3 or 4 thick slices - 4 to 5 mm thick

Place a tablespoon of the cheese mix on top of the first beetroot slice and then place another slice and so on till you get a "beetroot sandwich". To hold the "sandwiches" together I used decorative toothpicks.  This is optional. (I had to do it this way as I prepared the salad to this point and then had to transport to venue and I didn't want them falling off. If you are making it and serving right away, you do not need to do this.)

Once the stacks are make up, place them in the serving tray. Add a generous amount of the cheese mix on top of each beetroot. Place a tiny spring of thyme on each beet stack.

Pour all the ingredients for the dressing into a bottle and shake till you get a homogenous mixture of oil, mustard and vinegar. At this point taste your mix and add more vinegar/salt to get the desired taste. Drizzle dressing evenly over the beet stacks. 

Serve with your choice of grilled meats and salads or as an appetizer. 

Thank you, Family Good Kitchen Group and Marinela Mladenova for your recipe!