Organic Baby Beet Salad with Quinoa Granola & Ricotta Cheese

Ingredients

Yield:

6

• Ricotta Cheese

  • 1750 ml 2% Milk
  • 250 ml Buttermilk
  • 250 ml Whipping Cream
  • 1ea Juice from a Lemon
  • To Taste - Salt

• Beet Cooking Liquid

  • 4 tbsp Whole Cloves
  • 12ea Bay Leaves
  • 4 tbsp Black Peppercorns
  • 1/2 cup Salt
  • 2 cup Sugar
  • 3 cup White Wine Vinegar
  • 4 litre Water
  • 12ea Garlic Cloves
  • 12 sprigs Fresh Thyme
  • Petite Greens and Beet Chips to Garnish

• Quinoa Granola Bar

  • 60 ml Butter
  • 175 ml Honey
  • 225 gr Brown Sugar
  • 1 L Toasted Quinoa
  • 1/2 L Chopped Pecans
  • 7 gr Salt

Preparation

Difficulty:

Medium

Time:

60 MinutesRicotta Cheese

Total Time:

120 MinutesOverall

1. Ricotta Cheese

   1. Combine all ingredients in a pot and bring to a simmer about low-med heat.
   2. While the liquid is heating up, add salt
   3. When the solids have split, strain through a fine mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth
   4. Hang overnight.
   5. Reserve some liquid and re-add to the cheese if the cheese is too dry.

2. Beet Cooking Liquid

   1. Combine all ingredients together and cook beets in the liquid until done.
   2. Cool beets in the brine.

3. Quinoa Granola Bar

   1. Combine the butter, honey and brown sugar into a pot and bring to a simmer
   2. Continue to simmer for one minute and then add the quinoa, salt and chopped pecans. Add more quinoa if the mixture is too thin. The mixture should be quite thick with quinoa and pecans.
   3. Cool down until warm and still pliable and rolls into 1/2 inch thickness.
   4. Cool completely and cut into desired shape.
   5. Store at room temperature.

4. Beet Salad

   1. Drag red beet puree onto a plate.
   2. Cut beets into different shapes and toss in a bowl with olive oil, sherry vinegar, salt and pepper.
   3. Arrange on the plate and garnish with ricotta, quinoa granola, petite greens and beet chips.
   4. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil.
   5. Critical Points – Taste the beets before adding the seasoning, olive oil and sherry vinegar. Adjust the amount of vinegar depending on the strength of the lightly pickled beets.