Rainbow Beet Slaw With Pecans Maple Dressing Recipes

Steps:

• In a small bowl combine the red wine vinegar, honey, black pepper, and salt. Slowly, while whisking add the oil until the mixture is emulsified. Combine all vegetables and let drain in a colander. Combine vegetables and dressing then toss with the lemon juice and goat cheese.

Steps:

• Preheat a medium size skillet over medium-high heat with 3 turns of the pan of extra-virgin olive oil, about 3 tablespoons. Once you see the oil ripple in the pan add the grated beets, season with some salt and pepper and cook stirring every now and then until they are tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer the beets to a bowl and let them cool down a bit. Add the mustard and the vinegar to the beets. Whisk in the remaining extra-virgin olive oil in a slow and steady stream. Add the fresh dill, radishes, shredded cabbage, sliced scallions and relish and toss to combine, taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve now or the next day.

Steps:

• TO ROAST THE BEETS: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Set the beets in a roasting pan or ovenproof casserole in a single layer. Pour in the stock, wine, brown sugar, the 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, onion, ginger, salt, and the 1 tablespoon olive oil. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil or the casserole lid. Roast the beets until they are tender, about 45 minutes to 1 hour (a sharp knife will pull out easily from the center of a beet). Transfer the beets with tongs to a clean cutting board to cool. Reserve 6 tablespoons of the beet braising liquid for the vinaigrette.
• Wearing clean rubber gloves to prevent red fingertips, if desired, cut off the beets' green "stubble" and skinny tails. Hold the beets under cool running water to loosen the skins, then slip off the skins with a little pressure from your fingers. Set the beets aside.
• TO MAKE THE PECANS: Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and grease it with butter or cooking spray. In a frying pan set over medium heat, combine the 1 tablespoon olive oil, maple syrup, sugar, the 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, and cayenne pepper. Bring the mixture to a simmer and stir in the pecan halves. Continue stirring until the mixture thickens slightly and coats the pecans, about 10 minutes. Pour the pecans onto the prepared baking sheet, spreading evenly with a spoon. Let cool before breaking them apart.
• TO MAKE THE VINAIGRETTE: Whisk together the reserved 6 tablespoons beet braising liquid, lemon juice, white wine and balsamic vinegars, rosemary, mustard, salt, black pepper, and the 1/2 cup olive oil.
• TO ASSEMBLE THE SALAD: Cut the beets into bitesize pieces. Toss the beets with the salad greens in a large bowl. Divide the salad evenly among 8 salad plates. Cut the goat cheese into 8 slices and top each salad with a slice. Sprinkle with a few candied pecans and drizzle on the vinaigrette. Serve immediately.
• Chrissy Omo's passion for goat cheese began at age sixteen, when her father's job took the family to Europe. It was love at first taste and Chrissy, whose pet goat had taken second place in a Future Farmers of America competition when she was fifteen, now embarked on a quest to learn to make the stuff. While still a high schooler she worked for two months at Pure Luck Farm and Dairy in Dripping Springs under its award-winning goat-cheese maker Amelia Sweethardt. "Mom wanted me to see what it was really like," says Chrissy.
• Mother, father, and daughter agreed to finance the cheese business with savings from Chrissy's college fund. They invested in a small herd of goats and created a dairy on their property. When Chrissy was a senior in high school, she began selling her cheese commercially. CKC Cheese (the initials stand for Chrissy and younger brothers Kenny and Conner) is a family-run operation. Chrissy's mom, Adriana, is an experienced entrepreneur who handles the finances. Mother and daughter often do the deliveries together, bringing her handcrafted cheeses to customers throughout the Hill Country, including the Fredericksburg farmers' market, as well as to specialty stores in Austin. Chrissy's brothers help out with milking and other chores, but "no one but me touches the cheese," she says.
• The goat herd has grown to more than 160 head, and Chrissy produces 300 to 400 pounds of cheese a week, from seasoned feta and baby caprino (a soft, Italian-style cheese that is aged for three weeks) to creamy fresh chèvre. Despite the expanded production, Chrissy continues to juggle her cheesemaking with schoolwork. She's on track to graduate with a degree in international business from Texas State University in San Marcos. "I love making cheese," she says. And I love eating it-especially when it comes from Chrissy's goats.
• You can roast the beets ahead and refrigerate them with the reserved beet juice in a covered container for up to 2 days. The pecans can be made up to 2 days ahead and stored at room temperature in a tightly covered container. Prepare the vinaigrette up to 3 days in advance, cover, and refrigerate until needed.
• When you roast beets, purchase ones that are all about the same size. That way they will be done at the same time.

Steps:

• Put all the vegetables in a large bowl of iced water and leave in the fridge for 1 hr to crisp up. Drain well and pat dry on a tea towel, then tip into a large serving bowl.
• To make the dressing, whisk all the ingredients together with a large pinch of salt until the sugar has dissolved. Pour over the vegetables, toss well and chill until ready to serve.