Beet and Goat Cheese Salad

I was visiting my mother and she is lucky enough to be surrounded by neighbors with beautiful raised-bed gardens.  Her neighbors were generous enough to share some of their bounty.  We had some fresh romaine lettuce and beets.  I decided to make a beet salad since it was beastly hot outside and a light lunch was in order.  First, we roasted the beets in the oven.  I typically peel and chop my beets toss them in olive oil, salt and pepper and then roast them on a baking sheet at 400 degrees.  My mom learned a trick from her mother, Betty, that allows you to roast the beets at 325 degrees whole in a bit of water with out having to peel them.  Cook the beets until fork tender - which depending on how large they are can take up to an hour.  Once they are removed from the oven and cooled, peel them and chop them as desired.  Make sure that you season them before adding them to your dish.

I decided to make a simple vinaigrette; 2 tbsp of red wine vinegar, salt, pepper and 1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil.  Whisk in the olive oil slowly until emulsified.  Toss the beets, romaine, toasted walnuts and 4 oz. of crumbled herb goat cheese with a bit of the vinaigrette.  Lunch is served!