Beet Carpaccio with Goat Cheese and Mint Vinaigrette

Thinly sliced beets are used in place of beef in this rendition of the Italian appetizer. You may use any assortment of beets.  I happened to pull these beauties from my garden yesterday. This recipe looks lovely with the heirloom golden, orange and candy cane beets you may find at your local farmers' market. I make this whenever I have an abundance of beets.

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Beet Carpaccio with Goat Cheese and Mint Vinaigrette

• 12 2-inch beets, trimmed  
• 1 cup crumbled soft fresh goat cheese (about 5 ounces) see note
• 2 tablespoons minced shallot
• 1/3 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh mint
• 1/4 cup walnut oil or olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line rimmed baking sheet with foil. Place beets on sheet (if using both light and dark colored beets, place them on separate sheets to prevent discoloration). Sprinkle beets lightly with water. Cover tightly with foil. Bake until beets are tender when pierced with fork, about 50 minutes. Cool on sheet. Peel beets by rubbing your hands over the skin while running under cool water. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Place in resealable plastic bag; chill.)

Using cheese slicer, knife or mandoline, slice beets very thinly. Slightly overlap slices on 6 plates, dividing equally. Sprinkle with cheese, then shallot, salt, and pepper. Whisk vinegar, mint, oil, and sugar in small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle over beets. Sprinkle with chives. Makes 6 servings.

Nutritional information is for one serving with vinaigrette, but does not include the cheese.  Click on the box to find out how your recipes fare using this fantastic FREE website.

Note: Try making this with different cheeses. I have made this with Feta  mixed with a little Italian Mascarpone cheese.  Another version is using a wonderful English Blue Stilton or Gorgonzola Cheese which I also mix with the mascarpone cheese. 

(Recipe courtesy of Bon Appetit Magazine April 2003 issue)