Today I joined fellow chefs Marc Walden and Jon Gibson as we roll out our new restaurant Little House Midtown. Jon prepares an incredible salad and I talk about us being selected to participate in the Seafood, Science and Celebrity 2012 event with Food Network Star’s Martie Duncan and American Idol Taylor Hicks.

Updated: Friday, 21 Sep 2012, 9:28 AM CDT
Published : Friday, 21 Sep 2012, 7:55 AM CDT

Roasted Baby Heirloom Beet Salad
Servings – 4

Ingredients:
1lb Heirloom Beets or any mutli-colored beets
1 small head baby frisee – washed
4oz Mixed Salad greens
2 slices Benton’s bacon or your favorite bacon – cooked and chopped
2oz Fig/Balsamic Glaze
2oz Buttermilk Bleu Cheese or any mild Bleu cheese
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Kosher Salt
Fresh ground Black pepper

Steps:
Preheat oven to 375.
Trim tops off the beets and wash thoroughly. Pat dry with paper towel.
Using a sheet of aluminum foil, place beets in the center and drizzle with olive oil. Be generous!
Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Fold up aluminum foil to seal beets inside.
Place wrapped beets on a baking sheet pan and place in oven.
Depending on the size of the beets, check after 25 minutes and every 10 minutes after, until beets are fork tender.
Remove beets from oven, leaving them wrapped in the foil and let cool to room temperature.
Save the roasting oil to dress the salad with.
Once the beets are cooled, peel the beets with your fingers. You can use a small pairing knife.
Then slice the beets or cut into wedges.

Plating:
In a small mixing bowl tear the baby frisee into bite size pieces, then add the mixed greens.
Drizzle the roasting oil over the greens and gently toss, adding salt and pepper to taste.
Arrange greens on a plate, then place beets on top of the greens.
Drizzle the fig/balsamic glaze in a zig/zag pattern.
Crumble the blue cheese over top of salad and finish with sprinkling the chopped bacon.

Fig/Balsamic Glaze Ingredients:
1 Cup fresh figs – Mission or Brown Turkey
1 Cup balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Steps:
Peel and macerate figs in a small non-metal bowl until a paste forms.
In saucepan, add vinegar, fig pulp and simmer on low heat until mixture reduces down to about half. Stir occasionally (every 5-8 minutes) . This will take about 30-45 minutes.
Allow fig/balsamic reduction to cool.
Place mixture in blender or food processor.
Blend thoroughly until mixture combines and becomes smooth.
This step will also help release the seeds from any pulp that has not cooked down.
In separate bowl, strain out fig seeds.
Add 1 teaspoon vanilla, combine well to fig balsamic reduction.
This glaze is VERY concentrated.
Use about 1 teaspoon at a time or to taste.

Little House Midtown
2351 Airport Blvd.
Mobile
Hours:
10:30a.m.- 2:30p.m.
5p.m. – 9 p.m.
(251) 447-2623
http://www.littlehousebistro.com