Beet Salad with Goat Cheese Toasts Recipe

In a medium saucepan, cover the beets with water and bring to a boil. Simmer over moderate heat for about 25 minutes, until tender.

Transfer the beets to a plate and let cool, then peel and cut into ½-inch dices. Reserve 2 cups of the cooking liquid in the saucepan.

Add the maple syrup to the pan and boil over moderately high heat for 5 minutes. Stir in the beets and cayenne and simmer over moderate heat for about 30 minutes, until the beets are sweet and hot.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beets to a plate.

Boil the cooking liquid for about 8 minutes, until slightly thickened. Return the beets to the pan and let cool to room temperature.

In a small bowl, whisk 2 tablespoons of the beet syrup with the vinegar, olive oil and garlic and season with salt. Spread each toast with 2 teaspoons of goat cheese; sprinkle with poppy seeds.

In a large bowl, toss the lettuce with the beets and vinaigrette.

Mound the salad on plates, set the goat cheese toasts alongside and serve. Enjoy!