Caws Gafr gyda Betys a Llysiau Gwyllt (Goat's Cheese with Beetroot and Wild Herbs)

Ingredients:

4 Welsh goats' cheeses (about 120g each)
olive oil
thyme leaves
3 large beetroot, baked, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt and black pepper
12 baby beetroot, raw
2 sprigs thyme
150g fresh wild herbs, washed (eg wood sorrel, chickweed, hairy bittercress, Lady's Smock, pennywort, watermint, etc)
20g toasted pine nuts

Method:

Add the cheeses to a bowl and drizzle with some olive oil and the thyme leaves then set aside to marinate. Meanwhile, add the sugar to a saucepan and melt over low heat. Continue cooking the sugar until it turns golden then add the chopped beetroot and stir until they are completely coated in the caramel. Take off the heat, add the balsamic vinegar and stir to combine. Place the contents of the pan in a food processor and blend to a purée.

Strain the beet purée through a colander lined with muslin, allowing the liquid to drip into a bowl. When it stops dripping season the liquid and add an equal volume of olive oil to form a dressing. Then scrape the beet purée into a separate bowl, season and set both the purée and the dressing aside.

Wrap the baby beetroot and the thyme sprigs in a foil parcel and place in an oven pre-heated to 140°C, baking for 12 minutes. Remove from the oven, peel the beetroot and set aside to cool.

Remove the cheeses from the marinade then dry them and place under a hot grill for 2 minutes. Add a little of the dressing to the herbs then place a tablespoon of the beet purée on each plate. Set the dressed herbs on top and put the cheese on top of these. Add the baby beetroot and pine nuts, drizzle a little more of the beet dressing on top and serve.