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Video: Make a fresh salad with farmers market finds

TODAY recipes
updated 7/13/2012 10:41:31 AM ET 2012-07-13T14:41:31

Recipe: Summer roots, shoots, fruits and leaves

Ingredients
  • For salald
  • 12 chioggia beets, tops removed and washed
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp. kosher salt
  • 1 bulb fennel
  • 9 assorted radishes
  • 12 strawberries
  • 2 yellow peaches
  • 2 cups, assorted lettuces (arugula, lola rossa, radicchio, endive)
  • 1 small bunch fresh dill, picked
  • 12 leaves fresh tarragon
  • Maldon sea salt, to sprinkle
  • Fennel pollen, to sprinkle
  • Goat
  • Sherry vinaigrette - recipe follows
  • For goat cheese mousse
  • 1 cup goat's cheese, room temperature
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tbsp whole milk
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup aged sherry vinegar
  • 1 tsp. honey
  • kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
Preparation

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the beets in a bowl and toss with the olive oil and sprinkle with the kosher salt. Bake, covered, for one hour, until tender with the point of a knife. Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature.

Using a paper towel, gently rub the peel away from the beets and set the beets aside in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Trim the outer tough part of the fennel away and reserve the tender center part. Shave the fennel thinly with a Japanese mandolin. Place in cold water until ready to use.

Trim the radishes of their tops and cut into quarters. Trim the strawberries of their stem and cut in half. Slice wedges of the peaches and set all aside.

Clean all of the lettuces and trim to small leaves, about 3" long and set aside.

Pick through the dill and tarragon and set aside.

For goat cheese mousse:
Place all of the ingredients in the bowl of a kitchen aid mixer, fitted with a blade. Blend the goat's cheese mixture briefly, until a smooth a creamy mousse is formed. Set aside refrigerated until ready to use, being sure to soften to room temperature 20 minutes prior to using.

For sherry vinaigrette:
Place the sherry vinegar and honey in a small bowl, add salt and pepper and whisk in the olive oil.

For assembly:
Spread the goat's cheese mousse onto the serving plates in a "schmear" fashion, leaving a nice center area to assemble all of your ingredients.

Remove the fennel from the water and dry on a paper towel.

"Build" your salad by arranging the beets, strawberries, peaches, radishes, shaved fennel, greens and herbs in a decorative and free flowing manner.

Sprinkle with maldon salt, fennel pollen, black pepper and drizzle a touch of vinaigrette over the top of the salad just before serving.

Accompany with toasted walnut bread or your favorite table bread.

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