Beet and Goat Cheese Napoleons

Name: Beet and Goat Cheese Napoleons
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 4 serving(s)
Ingredients: 5 large red beets, roasted, peeled, and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices; 1 cup rice vinegar; 1 cup sugar; 9 ounces goat cheese, softened; 4 teaspoons fresh chives, minced; 4 teaspoons fresh parsley, minced; 2 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme, minced; 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper; 3/4 cup fresh orange juice; 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar; 1/4 teaspoon orange zest; 1 small shallot, minced; 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 3 tablespoons hazelnut oil; kosher salt, to taste; 3 tablespoons hazelnuts, chopped

Submitted by Rainbabe

"The Farmer’s Market is back in business! My mother-in-law and I go every Saturday to stock up on all kinds of fresh, organically grown produce. The stands are stocked with all of our favorites and a few surprises, like pea shoots and purslane. Since my husband is home I had to get beets, they are one of his favorite veggies, and I try to feed him well. I found this recipe in an issue of Saveur and thought it sounded great."

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photo by Rainbabe

Ready In:: 1hr 20mins
Ingredients:: 16
Serves:: 4

ingredients

5 large red beets, roasted, peeled, and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 cup rice vinegar
1 cup sugar
9 ounces goat cheese, softened
4 teaspoons fresh chives, minced
4 teaspoons fresh parsley, minced
2 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons fresh thyme, minced
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
³⁄₄ cup fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
¹⁄₄ teaspoon orange zest
1 small shallot, minced
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons hazelnut oil
kosher salt, to taste
3 tablespoons hazelnuts, chopped

directions

Using a round cookie cutter (size will depend on size of beets), cut out as many rounds as you can. In a medium-size skillet, bring rice vinegar and sugar to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and add beet slices in batches that you can manage, cook beet slices, turning once, about 2 minutes. Transfer slices to a paper towel–lined baking sheet. Pat dry and let chill. The left over scraps can be cooked up the same way to be used later in a salad.
Stir goat cheese together with the chives, parsley, 2 teaspoons thyme, and pepper in a bowl. Set aside.
Bring orange juice to a boil in a 1-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook until reduced to 1/3 cup, 4–5 minutes. Be careful to watch this part closely. I burned the first batch, and it didn't taste yummy. Let cool. Transfer juice to a bowl along with remaining thyme, balsamic vinegar, zest, and shallots. While whisking, drizzle in olive oil and hazelnut oil; whisk until smooth. Season vinaigrette with salt and pepper; let chill.
To serve: Put 1 beet slice on work surface; spread about 1 tsp to 1 tablespoons cheese mixture over beet depending on the size of your rounds. Top cheese with another beet slice, pressing down so cheese oozes to edge. Repeat to create a stack with 3 to 4 layers of cheese between 4 to 5 beet slices. Make as many stacks as you can with the slices you have. I ended up with 9 stacks because the beets I had were pretty small. Slice each stack into 4 wedges if large, or in half if they are small. Place salad greens on small plates and divide beets among them. Drizzle vinaigrette over each plate; garnish with nuts.
I had extra goat cheese left over, which I used to top some pasta a couple of days later -- yum.