Candy Cane Beets with Apple, Mint, and Goat Cheese Dressing

If you're a fellow child of the 90s, you'll probably remember Nickelodeon's Doug and his alter-ego, Quail-man.  Quail-man was all about beets, and referred to them as nature's candy.  While that name may be a tad hyperbolic, they do have a natural sweetness to them that sets them apart from most other root vegetables.

Even better is when you find beets that actually look like candy, which is the case with the Candy Cane beet variety.  Like the watermelon radish, the candy cane beet has been making quite a few appearances in food photos in recent years because of its striking pink and white, concentric circle pattern.  The taste isn't terribly different from regular beets, but the colors and shapes allow for some creative plays on color and texture.

Stumbling upon them at the grocery store, I decided to make a slightly altered version of The Clever Carrot's Raw Beet and Apple Salad.  I left out salad greens to bring the focus more heavily to the beets, and subbed basil for mint to give it a sweeter, almost dessert-like flavor.  The dressing, composed of goat cheese, milk, and lime, is pretty easy to confuse with yogurt, and the whole dish comes together as a slightly less sweet version of a fruit and yogurt dish.  If you happen to find these or other beets, give the below recipe a try!  It's written for the single serving I made, so ingredients are in small quantities - feel free to scale up as needed.

Candy Cane Beets with Apple, Mint, and Goat Cheese Dressing
1 candy cane beet, washed and peeled
1/4 granny smith apple
Mint leaves

Dressing:
1/2 a fresh lime
1 Tbsp goat cheese
1 tsp milk
1/2 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp honey
Dash of salt

Slice the beet in half horizontally, then use a mandoline slicer to cut into thin layers.  You'll want to use the thinnest setting you can while still being able to cut full circles (going too thin will likely cause them to come out in half-circle shapes).  Julienne the green apple to create thin, long matchstick pieces.

 Whisk the dressing ingredients together, juicing the lime into the mixture.  Arrange beets on a plate and drizzle dressing over the top.  Add apples and mint leaves, and if desired, zest the lime over the top of the plate.  Serve immediately.