Recipe of the Month

Salad of Heirloom Beets, Strawberries, Sheep's Cheese and Pickled Red Onion

(Adam Cooke, The Barn at Blackberry Farm, Walland, Tennessee)

• 1 lb mixed baby beets, trimmed; reserve tender greens for salad
• 1/2 lb ripe strawberries
• 1/2 lb fresh sheep's cheese or chevre
• 1 medium red onion
• 1 cup white wine vinegar
• 1 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/8 tsp each of dried chili flakes, black peppercorns, allspice, cinnamon, clove

Trim the beets and toss them in olive oil and kosher salt, wrap them in aluminum foil and roast until tender, about 45 min depending on the size of the beets. When tender, remove beets from the oven and peel. The skins should slide right off. Chill beets in fridge.

Julienne red onion and place in a bowl. Combine both vinegars, water, spices, sugar and bring to a boil. Boil 5 minutes and then strain liquid over onion. Reserve.

To plate:
Quarter beets and halve the strawberries and arrange across a plate. Toss beet greens, or other lettuces if beet greens are too tough, in a dressing made of the pickling liquid, good olive oil, salt and fresh black pepper. Crumble the cheese and sprinkle pickled onions over the top.