Beetroot, labne/goats cheese and walnut salad

At one stage in Sydney every cafe and restaurant seemed to have a roasted beetroot, walnut and goats cheese salad on the menu. It is a winner combination. The tangy cheese, sweet beetroot and crunch of the walnuts dressed with a sharp balsamic dressing go together so well. It's a favourite salad at home and is dead easy, as long as you leave time to roast the beets. The canned stuff is way too vinegary. I often buy the Meredith Vally goats cheese, which is lovely and soft and creamy. But it's also a bit pricy. I've been experimenting with labne lately and feel it makes a really good substitute. It is pretty much just drained Greek/natural yogurt. Just mix one tsp of salt into a cup of greek/natural yogurt, scoop into a muslin lined strainer and place over a bowl. Secure the corners of the muslin with an elastic band, leave in the fridge overnight. The excess water will have drained out of the yogurt leaving a thick, creamy cheese with a similar tang to goats cheese. It works pretty well with reduced fat yogurt, but you'll get the best results with full fat. I always use walnuts in the shell, mainly from Tasmania. Once out of their shells nuts go rancid really quickly. The shelled ones sold in packs in Australia pretty much all come from California. Mix it up with beetroot varieties and mixed lettuce leaves for a really impressive looking salad. 

Ingredients:

1 bunch/4-5 medium sized beetroots

1/2 to 3/4 cup labne (see above) or chevre (soft goats cheese)

20-25 walnuts

4 big handfulls mixed lettuce leaves

100 mls extra virgin olive oil

60 mls aged balsamic vinegar

dash red wine vinegar 

salt and pepper

Method:

Cut the stems off the beetroots about once cm before the root, rinse gently under water. Place in an oven proof dish lined with baking paper, drizzle over a little olive oil and cover tightly with foil. Put in a hot (200 degree) oven for 2 to 2/12 hours. They should be tender when pierced with a skewer. leave to cool a little then peel. The skins should slip off fairly easily. Slice into wedges while still hot and place in a bowl. Add the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar and a little salt and pepper. Stir and allow to marinate for at least an hour. Remove the shells and lightly toast the walnuts in a hot oven. allow to cool. Rinse and dry the lettuce and place in a large salad bowl. Top with beets and dressing, scatter over walnuts and small chunks of labne to your taste.  

Serves 4-6

Recipe adapted from Maggie Beer's Maggie's Harvest

Photo by Katie Davis.