Bart's Recipes
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Scrub the beets clean and trim the ends, but do not peel them. Wrap them individually in aluminum foil and roast for fifty to sixty minutes, until the tip of a knife slides into the center without resistance. Cooking them in foil allows them to steam in their own juices, keeping their earthy sweetness inside the root instead of leaching out into boiling water; this also preserves their deep, vibrant color.
Let the beets cool slightly and rub the skin off with a piece of paper towel. It will slide off easily after roasting. Cut them into wedges.
Toast the walnuts in a dry skillet until fragrant and break them into coarse pieces.
Whisk the mustard with the apple cider vinegar, honey, salt, and black pepper into a smooth base, then slowly drizzle in the olive oil in a thin stream while continuing to whisk. This binds the dressing into a thick emulsion that clings to the leaves.
Slice the smoked chicken breast diagonally into thick slices. Toss the still-warm beet wedges with half of the dressing so they absorb the acidity.
Distribute the lamb's lettuce over a plate, arrange the beets and chicken on top, and crumble the goat cheese over it. Spoon the remaining dressing over the salad and finish with the walnuts, plenty of dill, and black pepper.
