Warm Beet Salad with Blue Cheese & Hazelnuts

Topped with blue cheese and toasted hazelnuts, this flavorful salad is incredibly beautiful.

Ingredients:
Roasted beets, sliced and still warm from the oven (see recipe)
1 head each Little Gem, baby Romaine and Butter lettuce, rinsed, patted dry with a paper towel and coarsely chopped
1 cup raw hazelnuts
½ cup crumbled blue cheese
½ cup high-quality olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, crushed
Fresh ground pepper

Method:
1. To toast hazelnuts: Preheat oven to 350°. In a baking pan toast hazelnuts in one layer in middle of oven 10-15 minutes, or until lightly colored and skins are blistered. Wrap nuts in a kitchen towel and let steam 1 minute. Rub nuts in towel to remove loose skins (don’t worry about skins that don’t come off) and cool completely. Coarsely chop.

2. To prepare vinaigrette: Whisk olive oil, balsamic vinegar and garlic together, seasoning with fresh ground pepper to taste.

3. To assemble the salad: Arrange lettuce on a large platter and then top with beet slices. Top with crumbled blue cheese and chopped hazelnuts, then drizzle with the vinaigrette.