Frisée Salad over Roasted Beet Purée

Frisée Salad over Roasted Beet Purée

For the beet purée:

• 2 medium beets, topped and scrubbed
• 1/2 cup apple juice
• 1/4 cup honey
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• sea salt to taste

For the salad:

• I head frisée, chopped 
• 1 granny smith apple, sliced into matchsticks*
• 1 firm but ripe pear, sliced into matchsticks*
• 2 tablespoons manchego cheese, finely grated
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• juice of 1 lime
• sea salt to taste

For the topping:

• 1/4 cup red onion, julienned
• 2 teaspoon size nub of ginger, minced
• 1 teaspoon butter
• sea salt to taste
• 3 tablespoons walnuts, chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Wrap the beets in tin foil with the stem side up, leaving the cut stem exposed to the air. Place in a baking dish and roast for 90 minutes. 
3. Allow the beets to cool enough that they can be safely handled then cut into wedges. Combine with the rest of the purée ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until very smooth. Cover and let stand in the refrigerator.
4. Make the topping: melt the butter of medium high heat in a medium sized skillet. Add the red onion and minced ginger and stir gently until they start to loosen and release fragrance but before they turn translucent. Pull from heat and set aside. Stir in the walnuts.
5. Combine all ingredients for the salad in a large bowl and toss to even distribute.
6. To plate: spoon the purée onto serving plater or divide between plates. Use the back of the spoon to push the purée around and "paint" the surface almost to the edge. Pile the salad on top then sprinkle the topping over it. Garnish with edible flowers like bachelor buttons and marigolds. 

*Matchstick cuts can be achieved with a little practice and patience. Check out this video for step by step instructions. You can, however, make the whole process much faster and easier with a mandoline slicer. Mandoline slicers make short and consistent work of any cutting task and a good one will handle a matchstick or waffle cut with no problem. We recommend this one, the PL8, from Progressive International. Not only is it very feature rich it is also one of the safer ones on the market due to its larger hand guard and turn dial controls. Click here to see it in action on youtube.