Glazed Beet and Goat Cheese Salad

YIELD: 16 servings

8 each beets
1 cup sugar
1 cup rice vinegar
16 oz. goat cheese, crumbled
1 gal orange juice
1 oz. red wine vinegar
1 oz. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. shallots
1 Tbsp. thyme
1 cup balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsps. honey
¹ /2 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Baby greens
Orange segments
Candied Pecans

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Arrange beets in a 2-inch hotel pan. Add water to just cover the bottom of the pan. Season with salt. Cover with foil and roast until tender (about 45 min-1 hour depending on the size of the beets). Let cool. Peel and slice about ¹ /4 inch thick, set aside.
2. Simple Syrup: In small pot add sugar and rice vinegar. Mix until dissolved.
3. Line a 2-inch hotel pan with plastic wrap to set the assembled beets in. First dip the beet in the simple syrup and then add some goat cheese (about 1 tsp.). Repeat two more times so there are two layers of goat cheese and three slices of red beets per assembly. Refrigerate the layered beets with goats cheese to firm up. Once firm, trim each layered beet into a square and cut into a triangle.
4. For citrus shallot vinaigrette: Reduce orange juice in a medium sauce-pot by ² /3, set aside and let cool. Add red wine vinegar, lemon juice, shallots, thyme, balsamic vinegar, and honey to the reduced orange juice. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. The oil will star to thicken the reduced orange juice mixture. Season with salt and pepper.
5. To assemble: Toss baby greens in the citrus shallot vinaigrette. Place in the middle of the plate. Place three triangular layered beet and goats cheese at each end of the plate spaced apart evenly. Repeat on the other end of the plate. Put remaining citrus shallot vinaigrette into a squeeze bottle and drizzle over each beet. Garnish with orange segments and candied pecans.

Recipe by Tony Mohseninia, Corporate Executive Chef; Summa Health Facilities, Akron, OH

PHOTO BY LARRY LAWRENCE