Recipe - Beet And Mache Salad And Sherry Vinaigrette

4 md Beets
4 Sprigs fresh thyme
Coarse salt and freshly
ground pepper
1 One half teaspoon Olive oil
1 cup Kosher salt
2 md Leeks; white part only
One fourth pound Haricots verts
One fourth pound Mache; frise'e or watercress
8 Thin slices goat cheese
Sherry Vinaigrette
One half cup Walnuts; toasted

SHERRY VINAIGRETTE
1 teaspoon Sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
One fourth cup Grapeseed oil
1 tablespoon Walnut oil
Coarse salt
Freshly ground pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Wrap each beet individually in aluminum
foil; include a sprig of thyme on top of beet, salt and pepper to taste,
and drizzle One fourth teaspoon olive oil in each package. Coat bottom of a small
castiron skillet evenly with kosher salt. Place skillet in oven, and roast
beets 45 minutes to 1 hour, until tender enough to be pierced with a sharp
knife. Allow them to cool, and peel skin off beets by rubbing in between a
paper towel.

2. Quarter leeks horizontally, without cutting through the root end. Tie
leeks together in a bunch with kitchen string.

3. Bring medium pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch haricots verts until
tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Place ice cubes in a medium mixing bowl and fill
with cold water. Remove from pot with a strainer or slotted spoon, refresh
in bowl of ice water, and drain. Blanch leeks in same pot, until tender, 10
to 15 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

4. Heat remaining One half teaspoon olive oil in a small skillet over medium
heat. Add walnuts; toast until fragrant. Season with salt.

5. Arrange salad on individual plates by thinly slicing one beet per plate
with a mandolin. Season beets with salt and pepper. Arrange haricots verts
on top of beets, then add m=E2che. Drizzle vinaigrette over each salad.
Place two slices of goat cheese on each salad plate, and sprinkle with
toasted walnuts.

SHERRY VINAIGRETTE:

1. In small bowl, whisk together sherry vinegar, Dijon mustard, and
grapeseed and walnut oils. Season to taste.

NOTES: Riad Nasr, chef of Balthazar, one of New York City's most popular
new restaurants, shows Martha Stewart how to compose this deliciously
balanced salad of red beets, delicate m=E2che, leeks, haricots verts, goat
cheese, and toasted walnuts. The flavors and textures play off each other
perfectly.

Red beetsa great source of vitamin Aadd rich color and sweetness;
toasted walnuts and pungent goat cheese, preferably a fresh St. Maure from
France, add texture and bite to this delicious salad.

M=E2che, a member of the chicory family, is an exceptional green also known
as rapunzel, feldsalat, lamb's lettuce, and corn salad, the latter because
it is often grown in cornfields. Very delicate, sweet, and nutty, it's an
expensive treat because of its high perishability. The clusters are small,
made up of smooth, velvety, tongueshaped green leaves. Although perfect in
a salad, it can also be cooked like spinach and used in combination with
other delicate herbs and greens. If you are unable to find m=E2che,
substitute fris‚e or watercress.

Recipe by: Martha Stewart (Balthazar's chef Riad Nasr)

Posted to recipeludigest by "Valerie Whittle" catspaw@inetnow.net on Feb
24, 1998