A Tasty Way to Ruin Your Clothes

That age old saying that your grandparents taught you about some lessons in life being learned the hard way is in fact a true statement. Like that you should Never wear any articles of white clothing while prepping or cooking beets. Yep, I learned that today, when my (favorite) white pants were irretrievably marred with pink splatter marks when I got a little too excited peeling the beets. Maybe that is my punishment for wearing white before labor day. Whatever the reasoning, lesson learned. Although in the back of my mind there is a little voice asking, “you didn’t know that already?”

Ruined pants aside, I am now relishing in the fruit of my sacrifice. This delicious little appetizer is something I first made when I was working at the academy awards a few years ago. Hundreds upon hundreds of mini beet and goat cheese napoleons were passed around on silver platters that night, and it was me that made at least 150 of them. It is such a simple idea, requiring just two lovely ingredients. It’s one of those dishes that made me wonder why in the world I hadn’t thought of it before. I love beets and goat cheese in salads, so why not make a dish out of those two items alone? And while we’re at it, let’s make it incredibly pretty with a striking presentation.

A few words of wisdom on making the napoleons; use dental floss to cut the goat cheese and be sure to wipe the knife blade between cuts. I know it sounds strange to use teeth paraphernalia in the kitchen, but I assure you, nothing works better to slice through soft cheese.



Beet and Goat Cheese Napoleons

1 lb fresh beets, any color you like
1 log of goat cheese
Sea salt for serving (optional)

Bring a large pan of water to a boil over high heat. Chop the greens off the beets (if you are feeling experimental, save these and try cooking them, they are Delicious! Like swiss chard, only without all the bitterness and with all the health benefits.) Trim the tail off the beets too, if they have one and place in the boiling water. Reduce heat and simmer for 40 to 50 minutes, until tender when pierced with a fork. Drain and set aside to cool. When cool enough to handle, remove the skins by rubbing with your fingers. They should come right off. Slice the beets horizontally into ¼ inch slices and set on papers towels to absorb some of the redness.

Place the goat cheese in the freezer for 20 minutes before you slice it to help it firm up a bit.

Lay the log of goat cheese on a cutting board and using a long piece of dental floss, slide the floss underneath the log and pull up on the two ends, about a ¼ inch from the end. You want to end up with similar size slices as the beets. Repeat with remaining cheese. If you are using large beets, flatten slices slightly with your palm so they reach the edge of the beet slices. Lay a goat cheese slice on top of a beet and then top with another beet slice. You can make them two layers for a more dramatic presentation, but I like to stick with one layer. Slice in half, rinse the knife and then slice into quarters. Sprinkle with a bit of sea salt for a nice finish and serve.