Roasted Beet Salad

With a rack in the centre of the oven, preheat to 425 F.

Prepare the beets. Cut the stems and roots from the beets. Scrub the beets well, under running water, ensuring you remove all dirt. Place the beets on a sheet of foil. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil, a pinch of sea salt and ground black pepper. Place another sheet of foil on top and create a seal around the beets to trap steam.

Roast the beets on a baking sheet for approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour, until tender. You should be able to easily stick a form in them when they are ready. Remove from oven.

Once removed from the oven, allow the beets to cool for a few minutes. Rub off the beet skins using a paring knife if needed.

While the beets are roasting you can work on the rest of the salad ingredients. Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Place the almonds in the pan and toast over moderate heat until golden brown.

For the vinaigrette: Put all of the contents in a blender and blend on low for 30 seconds or until emulsified.

For the salad construction:
Slice the cooled beets into 1/4-inch thick slices. Place the beets in a bowl and drizzle with half of the vinaigrette. Cover the bowl and toss to evenly coat the beets.

Quarter and core the pear. Cut into julienned strips. Arrange the greens on a plate, and then arrange the beets on top. Top the beets and greens with the julienned pears, toasted almonds, and crumbled goat cheese. Serve!

Notes: In the vinaigrette, you can substitute the 1/4 cup of cider vinegar and 1/4 cup of red wine for 1/2 cup of red wine vinegar.