Beet and Broccoli Salad
1½ cups red wine vinegar
1½ cups sugar
⅓ cup pickling spice
1 cinnamon stick
1 star anise pod
4 baseball-size beets (about 2 pounds)--trimmed, peeled and cut into bite sized wedges
1 medium broccoli crown, trimmed and cut into small florets
¼ cup (2 ounces) fresh goat cheese or feta
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and Pepper
1 cup beet green leaves, other greens, and/or lettuces, trimmed and torn into bite-size pieces
additional crumbled goat cheese or feta
In a medium saucepan, combine the red wine vinegar with the sugar, pickling spice, cinnamon and star anise. Bring to a boil and stir until the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the spices steep for 10 minutes. Strain; reserve the liquid and discard the spices. Return the liquid to the saucepan, add the beets and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer the beets for 10 minutes or until fork tender. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the beets cool slightly in the liquid. Pre-heat oven to 450. Toss broccoli with 1 TBL olive oil, sprinkle of salt and pepper, place on baking sheet, and bake for 15-20 minutes or until lightly charred but still crisp-tender. Refrigerate the charred broccoli until ready to serve. In a small bowl, whisk the goat cheese with the lemon juice, 2 TBL olive oil, 1½ teaspoons of water and a pinch of salt until smooth. Drain the beets and discard the liquid. In serving bowl, toss the greens, beets, and broccoli with goat cheese dressing. Add salt and pepper to taste and set salad at room temperature to merry for 1-2 hours. Serve with additional crumbled cheese.