February's Recipe - Blood Orange, Roast Beetroot & Goats Cheese Salad

A classic winter salad featuring tart blood orange, sweet roast beetroot, creamy goat's cheese and crunchy hazelnuts

Serves six

For the salad 
750g (1lb 10oz) small raw beetroot 
olive oil, to drizzle 
250g (9oz) creamy goat's cheese (not chalky) 
4 blood oranges 
200g (7oz) salad leaves, such as watercress, red chard, baby spinach and lamb's lettuce 
75g (2¾oz) hazelnuts, halved and toasted

For the dressing 
1 tbsp white-wine vinegar 
½ tbsp blood-orange juice 
smidgen of Dijon mustard 
2½ tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 
2½ tbsp hazelnut oil 
¼ tsp runny honey (or to taste)

Method
Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas mark 5. Trim the beetroot and wrap in foil, drizzling over a little olive oil and some seasoning before you seal the packet. Don't wrap tightly. Place in a roasting-tin and cook until tender. The time this takes varies enormously and doesn't just depend on size. Reckon on about 45 minutes. Test for doneness with the point of a knife. When the beetroot is cool enough to handle, peel off the skin; it comes off very easily but it's still best to use a knife and fork to protect your skin from staining. Cut each one into quarters.
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Make the dressing by mixing the vinegar, orange juice and mustard in a small jug. Gradually whisk in the oils with a fork. Season and add the honey. Taste for seasoning.

Break the goat's cheese into pieces. Slice the ends off the oranges so that they are flat at the top and the bottom. Using a sharp, fine-bladed knife cut the peel and pith from each orange. Cut the oranges into fine slices, removing any pips or remaining pith.

Toss the leaves, oranges and hazelnuts with three quarters of the dressing. Either divide the salad between six plates or put it on to one big platter. Because beetroot stains everything it touches put it and the cheese on top just before serving. Drizzle over the remaining dressing and serve immediately.