Lost Dishes: Harvest - Fennel, Roasted Baby Beet and Goat Cheese Salad

Harvest: Fennel, Roasted Baby Beet and Goat Cheese Salad

Harvest’s menu was billed as "rustic American food." Chef Steve Gontram described it as "fresh, unpretentious food. We use seasonal produce at the peak of its flavor, so we can rely on that flavor, with only salt and pepper. No masking is necessary."


Yellow and red beets	Steve Gontram

Fennel, Roasted Baby Beet and Goat Cheese Salad

Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 15, 2010

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

2 bunches baby beets, (red, yellow, Chioggia or a combination)
1 large bulb fennel, green stems removed
1 small red onion
1 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
Salt
Ground black pepper
4 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
4 oz goat cheese, roughly crumbled
4 oz baby arugula
White or black truffle oil, for optional garnish

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut tops from beets and place beets in a shallow baking dish. Add water to a depth of about 1/4 inch to the dish. Cover the dish with foil and place in the oven to "steam-bake" for 45 minutes or until beets are fork-tender. Remove beets from liquid and let stand until cool enough to handle; slip skins off beets. Quarter beets and set aside.

Trim fennel bulb and cut in half; thinly shave fennel using a sharp knife or mandoline. Thinly slice or julienne onion.

In a small bowl, stir together honey, vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste; whisk in olive oil.

In a mixing bowl, combine beets, fennel, onion, goat cheese and arugula; toss with vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with a dash of truffle oil, if desired.