Roast beet salad with goat cheese and walnuts

From West Coast Cooking by Greg Atkinson

For the salad:

2 bunches watercress, or baby arugula
1 lb beets
one 4oz log fresh white goat cheese
1 c walnuts, lightly toasted

For the vinaigrette:

1 shallot, finely chopped
2 Tb raspberry vinegar
6 Tb walnut oil
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. If using watercress, trim the base from teh bundles, give the greens a quick bath in a sink full of cold water, and spin them dry. Hold the greens in the fridge until just before serving.

2. Preheat the oven to 375. Wrap the beets in foil and roast them until they are fork-tender, 30 minutes to an hour. When they are cool enough to handle, peel the beets; the skins should slip off easily. Cut the cooked, peeled beets into large matchsticks about 1/2 inch wide by 2 inches long and set aside.

3. Make the vinaigrette. In a salad bowl, whisk together the shallot and vinegar and then, still whisking, drizzle in the walnut oil. Toss the beets with the dressing.

4. Distribute the watercress evenly among 4 salad plates, and arrange the dressed beet matchsticks on top. Drizzle any dressing left in the bowl over the greens. Crumble the goat cheese over the vegetables, then scatter the walnuts over all, and sprinkle each serving with salt and pepper to taste.