Beet Salad w/ Fried Goat Cheese & Honey

Here is a recipe to impress your guests (if you don't have any guests, then make it for yourself!).

An easy salad made special by frying up some herb crusted goat cheese rounds with panko crumbs and a honey dressing.

On another note, I'm a honey addict.

I eat it everyday in some way.
Drizzled on my yogurt w/ nuts, in salad dressings and on cheese (so good on gorgonzola).

There are so many honeys out there, which one to buy?

I have a collection of honey. You may remember, I waited patiently in line at the Luxembourg Garden Honey Festival (les fetes du miel) in Paris for the once a year chance to buy a jar of honey from those famous Parisian bees!!!! (post here).

I have local N.J. honey which is reported to help spring allergy sufferers (it does work), made by a local bee keeper. A teaspoon a day keeps the allergist away.

I have been using Kings Own Brand Organic Wildflower Honey and I am addicted. True Verified Source (which means from hive to bottle).

Here, I made my usual roasted beet salad w/ watercress this time, and these fantastic warm goat cheese rounds.

Roasted Beets w/ Watercress & Herbed Goat Cheese Rounds w/ Honey:

bunch of watercress
red & yellow beets, roasted
handful of toasted walnuts
a log of chevre (goat cheese), cut into rounds w/ dental floss (yes, it works!)
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
2 egg whites
1 tbsp of dried or fresh herbs such as parsley, thyme and rosemary, (I used them all)
red pepper flakes, sea salt & pepper

Dressing:
1 tbsp of wildflower honey
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil
sea salt & pepper

Whisk up dressing ingredients w/ a fork and set aside.

Start by roasting your beets, trimmed, sprinkled w/ kosher salt and drizzled w/ olive oil.
Cover the pan tightly and roast in a 400F oven for 1 hour.

When cool enough to handle, peel beets. I do this the day before.

To make the goat cheese rounds: Slice the log with dental floss for even and precise slices. Make sure the goat cheese is cold.

Mix the panko crumbs w/ the spices and herbs.

Dredge each round in egg white then in panko crumb mixture.

Lay on parchment lined baking sheet and freeze at least 15 minutes, and up to 3 hours.

When ready to serve, heat some olive oil in a non-stick skillet and saute the chevre coins (cute name for them) for 1 minute one each side.

Mix the watercress w/ the roasted beets, walnuts and anything else you want in your salad (red onion is nice too). Drizzle dressing over and add the warm chevre on top of the salad (2 per person).

This is such a great salad.