Published at 19:20, Thursday, 19 July 2012

THIS week we bring you a warm salad perfect for casual entertaining.

This salad can be served as a starter, or as an interesting side dish as part of a meal or buffet.

Serves four.

200g baby beetroot, peeled

Olive oil – around 9 tblsp

225g baby carrots – chantenay carrots would be ideal if you can get them. If you cannot get baby carrots, use regular, peeled and cut into 3cm chunks

2 cloves garlic, smashed with the side of a knife, but still in the skin

3 tblsp sherry vinegar

200g green salad leaves, we recommend a mixture of baby spinach, rocket and watercress

A few sprigs of fresh thyme

225g goat’s cheese

Salt and pepper

Pre heat the oven to 200C.

Place the beetroot and a few sprigs of thyme in a large heavy bottomed roasting tin. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle over some olive oil.

Roast in the oven for 30 minutes. Add the carrots and garlic to the tray. Give everything a mix then return to the oven and roast for a further 15 minutes or so. The carrots should be tender but still retain a little bite.

Remove the carrots and beetroot from the tray and put in a bowl. Discard the garlic.

Deglaze the roasting tin by putting it over a medium heat on the hob. Add the sherry vinegar to the tray and whisk it into the tin to retrieve the sticky juices from the bottom of the tray. It should only take a few seconds.

Pour any juices from the tray through a sieve and into the bowl with the carrot and beetroot. This is the basis of your dressing.

Add more olive oil to the bowl (if wished) to give the correct dressing consistency you desire.

Taste to check the seasoning and adjust if necessary.

Gently fold the salad leaves and a few picked thyme leaves through the vegetables and dressing.

Transfer to a serving plate (or plates) and top with some crumbled goat’s cheese.

This is delicious eaten with roast meats (served hot or cold), which is why we like it as part of a buffet. It is great with roast beef.

Published by http://www.timesandstar.co.uk