Beet, Pear and Goat Cheese Salad

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
• 1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 recipe Basic Roasted Beets
• 2 firm ripe Bartlett pears, peeled, halved lengthwise, cored, and sliced 1/4 inch thick lengthwise
• 4 ounces soft goat cheese crumbled
• 1/3 cup toasted pecans or walnuts coarsely chopped

Instructions

1. 1
   In a medium bowl, whisk together juice, vinegar, oil, and mustard; season with salt and pepper.
2. 2
   Arrange beets and pears on four serving plates. Drizzle with dressing. Scatter cheese and nuts over, and season with more pepper, if desired. Serve immediately.
3. 3
   Roasted Beets: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wrap 1 pound (about 5) small, well-scrubbed beets in 2 or 3 packets of foil. Place on a baking sheet; bake until beets are slightly soft to the touch, 45 minutes to 1 hour depending on their size. Cool beets in packets, then rub off skins (use a paring knife for tough spots) and cut into wedges.