Beet Salad with Goat Cheese Toasts

Ingredients

8 beets (1 3/4 pounds), scrubbed
1 cup pure maple syrup
1 ¼ teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt
12 baguette slices, toasted
1/2 cupfresh goat cheese
1 teaspoon poppy seeds
4 headsBibb lettuce , leaves separated

Directions

• In a medium saucepan, cover the beets with water and bring to a boil. Simmer over moderate heat until tender, about 25 minutes. Transfer the beets to a plate and let cool, then peel and cut into 1/2-inch dice. Reserve 2 cups of the cooking liquid in the saucepan.
• Add the maple syrup to the pan and boil over moderately high heat for 5 minutes. Stir in the beets and cayenne and simmer over moderate heat until the beets are sweet and hot, about 30 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beets to a plate. Boil the cooking liquid until slightly thickened, about 8 minutes. Return the beets to the pan and let cool to room temperature.
• In a small bowl, whisk 2 tablespoons of the beet syrup with the vinegar, olive oil and garlic and season with salt. Spread each toast with 2 teaspoons of goat cheese; sprinkle with poppy seeds.
• In a large bowl, toss the lettuce with the beets and vinaigrette. Mound the salad on plates, set the goat cheese toasts alongside and serve.