Heritage beetroot salad with goat's cheese & walnut granola

 

Ingredients

• 400g yellow and ruby red heritage beetroot
• 1 sprig thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 2tbsp olive oil
• 100g baby leaf salad
• handful beetroot leaves (if you can, buy your beetroot with the leaves on. If not, substitute for more baby leaf salad)
• 200g soft, mild goat’s cheese, hand-torn

For the mimosa dressing

• 3tbsp olive oil
• 2tbsp sunflower oil
• 1tbsp chardonnay vinegar
• squeeze lemon juice
• 1⁄4 garlic clove, sliced
• 1 sprig tarragon, leaves chopped

For the walnut granola

• 80g walnut halves, roughly chopped
• 50g rolled oats
• 20g mixed seeds (sesame, sunflower, pumpkin and flaxseed)
• pinch salt
• 1tbsp clear honey
• 1tsp walnut oil

To garnish

• handful mint leaves and edible flowers

Method

To make the dressing, combine the ingredients in a jar, cover with a tight-fitting lid and shake everything together. Ideally do this a few hours before serving, to allow the flavours to infuse.

Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas 2. To make the walnut granola, combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl. Heat the honey in a small saucepan until warm and loose, adding a drop of water to let it down, if needed.

Pour over the dry ingredients with the walnut oil and mix well to ensure everything is well covered. If the mix looks dry, add a little more water. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, checking regularly, until golden and crisp. Leave to cool completely before use.

Increase the oven temperature to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Tip the beetroot on to a foil-lined baking sheet, add the thyme and bay leaf, drizzle with a little olive oil and a splash of water, and season with sea salt and black pepper. Cover with foil then cook in the oven for 1-2 hours, until just tender when tested with a sharp knife. Remove and allow to cool. Once cool enough to handle, rub off the skins and cut into bite-size pieces. Marinate the beetroot in half the dressing for at least an hour.

To serve, scatter some baby leaf salad leaves and beetroot leaves over each plate and arrange the beetroot around the centre, where you find gaps in the leaves. Add a few more leaves, trying to build some height, then add the chunks of the goat’s cheese.

Scatter over the walnut granola and finish with torn mint leaves and a drizzle of the dressing.