Homegrown salad with beetroot, nectarine and goats cheese

If there is one food that dominates in my household, it's a salad. This obsession comes in many forms, from the carefully crafted gourmet variety to something as simple as lettuce leaves and a dressing (OK, maybe just rocket and olive oil). One thing I love is to try creating a new recipe and so comes the one below which was the result of a weeknight fridge raid.

There's nothing more satisfying than using up what's left in my fridge. Even better is when the meal includes something homegrown. In this case, it was the salad leaves which came from a salad mix seed blend I've planted in my balcony garden.

Homegrown Salad with Beetroot, Nectarine and Goats Cheese
One Serve

Mixed salad leaves (a couple of handfuls should do it)
1 Nectarine (I went with white)
1 Medium fresh beetroot
30g Goats cheese*
Drizzle of beetroot vinegar (or balsamic vinegar)**
Juice of half a lime
1-2 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil (evoo)

Clean (but don't peel) the beetroot, cover in foil and bake in a pre-heated oven at 160ºC for 40 minutes (or until tender but still firm). Let beetroot cool, or if you have time, refrigerate till cold. When cool, peel off skin and cut into small cubes or wedges.

Segment the nectarine into thin slices. Arrange salad leaves on a plate or serving platter. Scatter on beetroot cubes then slices of nectarine. Crumble over the goats cheese. Squeeze lime over the salad, then drizzle over beetroot vinegar and evoo right before serving.


* My sister isn't huge on goats cheese, so I used feta in her salad which worked equally as well.

** I use Nicholson Fine Foods Euro Style Spiced Beetroot Finishing Vinegar which is worth every penny! Otherwise, a good aged balsamic vinegar will do the trick