2 organic gold beets
2 organic red beets
2 lemons, for juicing
4 ounces local Texas goat cheese
3 to 4 tbsps heavy cream
1/4 cup pistachio nuts, shelled and toasted
1/8 fresh thyme leaves, picked from the stem
1/4 tsp fresh chives, chopped fine
sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
extra virgin olive oil as needed
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Wash and wrap each pair of beets in an aluminum foil hobo pack (formed by placing beets in the center of a 24″X24″ piece of foil, bringing up the four corners, and twisting them closed at the top). Pour 1/4 cup of water into each pack of beets. Places packs on a pan in the oven and bake until the beets are tender, or can be pierced with a roasting fork or skewer, roughly two hours.
When beets are cool, cut off the outer skin with a pairing knife, using gloves to avoid stained hands. Slice beets into 1/4-inch rounds.
Place the beets in a bowl and season with sea salt and pepper. Dress liberally with olive oil, fresh thyme, chives (reserve a few for garnish), and fresh lemon juice to taste.
Whip goat cheese in a bowl until soft. Whip in cream until light and fluffy.
Arrange beets in serving bowls, alternating slices of red and gold. Top with a generous spoon of goat cheese. Drizzle excess dressing over beets. Sprinkle pistachios over and top with chives. Serves 2-4.
