Roasted beetroot salad with fresh cheese and prosciutto

October 23, 2008

People are rediscovering beetroot – and liking it. Many of us grew up at a time when beetroot was served in only one way and that was sliced and steeped in brown vinegar, maybe with a grating of nutmeg. Some of us graduated to Harvard beets or even made borscht. Then along came roasted beetroot in various guises and we learned how delicious beetroot could really be when the flavour was concentrated.

I made this beetroot salad to accompany a simple rack of lamb. We also had a side dish (recipe here) of pumpkin cubes which had been sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds, cumin seeds and tiny wild olives, drizzled with oil and baked at the same time as the lamb. Along with some greens, it made a colourful meal.

The fresh cheese I used was Hot Cow from Yarra Valley Dairy, a cow’s cheese spiked with chilli and fresh herbs, but this would be equally good with a fetta, little bocconcini or some goat’s cheese. The prosciutto adds a nice flavour and texture contrast.

Roasted beetroot salad

1 bunch baby beetroot
50g fresh cheese
50g prosciutto
rocket or baby beet leaves
extra virgin olive oil
balsamic vinegar

Wash the beetroot and chop off the leaves, leaving about 2cm of stalks. Take a large square of aluminium foil and place three beetroot in the centre, sprinkle with olive oil then drawn up the sides of the foil and form a parcel. Continue wrapping the remaining beetroot this way.

Place the parcels in a shallow roasting tray and bake at 180C for about 20 minutes or until the beetroot are tender when tested with a toothpick. Leave to cool down then unwrap and rub off the skins.

Quarter the beetroot lengthwise and place on paper towels to absorb any surface juice.

Wash and dry the baby beet leaves or rocket and scatter on the bottom of a serving dish. Cut the prosciutto into thin strips and place on the leaves. Just prior to serving, place 1/2 teaspoon-sized servings of fresh cheese and the pieces of beetroot on top, avoiding putting the beetroot on the cheese if possible. Drizzle over some olive oil and a little balsamic vinegar.

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