Roasted Beets with Hazelnuts and Goat Cheese

Instead of using fresh goat cheese with sweet roasted beets, this salad is made with a deeply flavored aged goat cheese Slideshow:  Delicious Beet Dishes 

Ingredients

5 1/2 pounds medium beets (about 20)

1 1/4 cups extra-virgin olive oil

6 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tablespoons thyme leaves

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 cup hazelnuts

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 shallot, minced

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/2 cup chopped chives or scallions

Shaved aged goat cheese, like Midnight Moon or Garrotxa, for serving

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375°. In a large roasting pan, toss the beets with 1/4 cup of the oil and the garlic and thyme; season with salt and pepper. Cover tightly with foil and roast for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, until the beets are tender. Let cool, then peel the beets and cut them into different sized wedges, chunks and slices

Meanwhile, spread the hazelnuts in a pie plate and bake for about 12 minutes, until fragrant. Transfer the nuts to a kitchen towel and let cool slightly, then rub them together in the towel to remove the skins. Coarsely chop the nuts.

In a medium bowl, whisk the lemon juice with the shallot and mustard and let stand for 10 minutes. Gradually whisk in the remaining 1 cup of olive oil and season the dressing with salt and pepper.

In a large bowl, toss the beets with half of the dressing and season with salt and pepper. Arrange the beets on a platter and sprinkle the chives and hazelnuts on top. Scatter shaved goat cheese over the salad and serve, passing the additional dressing and cheese at the table.