Melissa Kelly's beet salad, pistachio vinaigrette

[jgm]

Michael Ruhlman's latest book, "The Reach of a Chef" describes a roasted beet salad served at Melissa Kelly's Primo restaurant. It sounds wonderful, and since I'm not likely to be in that area anytime soon, I'd like to try to make it at home.

The salad has (if I remember correctly) slices of roast beet and orange supremes on a bed of greens, dressed with a pistachio vinaigrette, and served with goat cheese "truffles" - balls of goat cheese coated with chopped pistachios.

If you've had this salad, I'd appreciate some comments about the ingredients. I've googled "pistachio vinaigrette" and have come up with several recipes that look like good candidates. I've also had nut-coated goat cheese on a salad, but I'm not sure how to try to duplicate her "truffles". How big are they? Were the pistachios roasted before they were used to coat the goat cheese balls? Is there anything added to the goat cheese? Are they baked or warmed before service? (And if so, any tips for doing that?)

I assume the salad would be composed of about 1/2 to 1 cup of greens; about 5 to 7 slices of roasted beets (depending on the size of the beets); maybe about 3 to 5 orange supremes, the usual amount of dressing, and maybe 3 to 5 "truffles", depending on their size.

Any comments, suggestions, or other information would be appreciated!

[Qwerty]

Why not just take the ideas you have and run with it? Is it important to replicate the salad perfectly? Sounds to me like you caught the gist and should go with what you have.

My advice: Don't worry about the size of the goat balls, (on a side note, I wouldn't warm them), find a dressing recipe you like, pick out some nice greens and beets at the market, and do it up.

[jgm]

No, it's not important to replicate the salad perfectly, but I haven't used these ingredients before in this way. Nor do restaurants around here serve a salad like this. The problem I have with just trying to 'wing it' is that if there's anything I'm missing, it's always good to know about it before spending the money on the ingredients (although these aren't expensive ingredients). If I make it and we don't care for it, I'm not an experienced enough cook to be able to tell what it "needs".

[zoe b]

I've had/made a similar salad--didn't use the pistachios, and just crumbled goat cheese on top.

I think i usually make a viniagrette with oj and lemon juice, possibly some lemon or orance peel for this.

The pistachios sound good, though. If you are doing it--I'd toast them lightly, add some to the dressing, or just sprinkle them on top--and i agree, the truffles are probably little goat cheese balls covered with chopped truffles.

Any other nut would be just as good--especially pecans or walnuts.

I know what you're saying about trying something unfamiliar--you want a recipe the first time--but after you make it you'll understand what works and you'll be able to sub other ingredients with confidence! Apples, blue cheese, hard boiled eggs, pears.

Let us know how it comes out.

Edited August 3, 2007 by zoe b (log)

[Live It Up]

I have not had this particular salad either, but I just wanted to comment on the goat cheese truffles. They are probably just small ball of fresh goat cheese rolled in some savory toppings. Here's and example. I would toss the greens with dressing, then arrange the other ingredients on top and drizzle with a little more dressing just on the beets. 3 goat cheese truffles would be plenty for 1 cup of green.

[LindaK]

I'm guessing that the "pistachio vinaigrette" includes pistachio oil. It's a specialty item that can be hard to find, and it's a little pricey. It's strongly flavored so a little goes a long way. For that reason, I doubt it would replace all the olive oil in a standard vinaigrette recipe.

[jgm]

I'm guessing that the "pistachio vinaigrette" includes pistachio oil. It's a specialty item that can be hard to find, and it's a little pricey. It's strongly flavored so a little goes a long way. For that reason, I doubt it would replace all the olive oil in a standard vinaigrette recipe.

←

I hadn't yet started to look for the oil. But when I Googled "pistachio vinaigrette" to see whether all the recipes I'd located, called for it ... lo and behold, I found a recipe for pistachio oil!

Link

[Qwerty]

No, it's not important to replicate the salad perfectly, but I haven't used these ingredients before in this way.  Nor do restaurants around here serve a salad like this.  The problem I have with just trying to 'wing it' is that if there's anything I'm missing, it's always good to know about it before spending the money on the ingredients (although these aren't expensive ingredients).  If I make it and we don't care for it, I'm not an experienced enough cook to be able to tell what it "needs".

←

I don't want you to think I was being flip in my reply, but it really did sound like you had a good grasp on how to make a home version of that salad.

I mean, you found several recipes on the net for a dressing (pick the one you think sounds best), I assume since you didn't ask that you can roast the beets, supreme the oranges, etc. How big are the goat cheese "truffles?" Probable about the size of chocolate truffles--if you don't have a reference point, I would say no bigger than a nickel in diameter (and that would probably be on the large side).

Seriously, beets, goat cheese, citrus, bitter greens--what's not to love? My bet is you couldn't really do wrong with the salad. Have fun, do it up, and let us know how it goes.

Good luck.