The first beet salad I ever had was at our friends’ Pete and Jackie Stark’s lake house at Pickwick. I was in my forties, and I dare say I had never eaten a beet in my entire life before that night. I can picture them on salad bars across south Mississippi, but I never touched them. If you are like me, you have been missing out. The taste of a freshly roasted beet compares to nothing else you will taste. The flavor is earthy and a little sweet and simply delicious. Jackie prepared a simple green salad topped with chunks of freshly roasted beets, goat cheese, and sugared pecans. Since that night, I was hooked. I walked by some fresh beets at the grocery store Friday and wondered what I could do with them for FNPP. Why not turn the beet salad into an appetizer and that’s what I did! Don’t be afraid. Your friends will love it.
Fresh Beet Salad Spread
Ingredients:
1 large, fresh beet
1 8-ounce cream cheese, softened
1 4-ounce goat cheese, softened
1 cup sugar coated pecans, broken into small pieces
1 cup chopped arugula
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash and dry beets, coat with a little olive oil, wrap with tin foil, and bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove to cool. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the vinegar and honey. This is the dressing. Set aside. In another mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese and the goat cheese. Spread the mixture out onto your serving platter about 3/8 inch thick. Set aside. When the beets have cooled, the outer peel should remove very easily. Chop the beet into very small chunks that will easily top the dip. Top the cream cheese mixture with the chopped arugula and chopped beets. Drizzle the dressing on top. Lastly, add the sugared pecans. Serve with a simple sturdy cracker like a Wheat Thin.