Roasted Beets with Toasted Walnuts, Goat Cheese and Balsamic Reduction

Dallas Farmer’s Market Find #4:

Hope everyone had a great weekend! Hard to believe it’s been over a week since we returned home from Dallas with our Farmer’s Market bounty. I’m a bit behind, I guess.

Nick went on a cross-country flight this weekend, first to Louisville on Friday and down to Pensacola on Saturday. I should have caught up on blogging, but I didn’t. Saturday morning I had to “work.” Another big event for work: Adventure Race! It was a 4 mile run, 2 mile raft and 12 mile bike race. Afterwards we had a BBQ and DJ. It was a fun Saturday morning! I wish I could have participated, but it was fun to watch too. Especially the rafting!

Sunday I caught up on a few things I’ve been putting off forever. Like weeding the flowerbeds. Though we rent our house, and they mow our lawn, we are apparently required to keep our flowerbeds looking nice. After receiving several threatening letters from the management company, I finally decided to attack the weeds. Since I am no gardener, and don’t know the difference between weeds and flowers, I just pulled it all. After an hour of pulling weeds and acquiring several rosebush induced injuries, I have decided that home ownership is just not for me. Unless it comes with landscapers.

On to the recipe!

Roasted Beets with Toasted Walnuts, Goat Cheese & Balsamic Reduction

• 3 large beets
• 2 tsp olive oil
• salt
• 1 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp + 1 tsp sugar
• 3 tbsp toasted walnuts, roughly chopped
• 3 tbsp crumbled goat cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with tin foil. Rub beets with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt. Place beets on the tin foil, and cover with another sheets, closing edges together.

Bake about 1 1/2 hours, until skin is easily pierced with a fork. Let cool a few minutes.

Meanwhile, combine vinegar and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until vinegar has thickened into a syrup that coats the back of a spoon.

Once beets have cooled, peel the outer skins off. Slice beets and place each one on  plate with a tbsp each of walnuts and goat cheese, and a drizzle of balsamic reduction.

Beets are one of the foods I used to hate and now love. Though I’ve had them at restaurants and from a can many times, this is actually the first time I’ve ever attempted cooking them myself! And I’m so glad I did, because they are 100 times better than canned!

Nick didn’t think he liked beets, but he’s apparently only had the canned ones before. These are a whole different story. He loved them, and even had a BIG plate of seconds! New vegetable success!