Roasted fig, walnut and goat’s cheese salad

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 small beetroot (beets), peeled and thickly sliced
• extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• 6 ripe figs, halved crossways
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• apple cider vinegar, for drizzling
• 100 g (3 1/2 oz) walnuts
• 200 g (7 oz) English spinach, plus extra to serve (optional)
• 100 g (3 1/2 oz) goat’s cheese
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 2 thyme sprigs
• freshly ground black pepper
• microherbs, to serve (optional)
• 1 orange, sliced and roasted, to serve (optional)

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METHOD:

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F).
2. Toss the beetroot in a roasting tray with a drizzle of olive oil. Roast for 25 minutes, or until just softened.
3. Remove the tray, lay the fig halves, cut side up, around the beetroot then sprinkle with the cinnamon and drizzle over some olive oil and apple cider vinegar.
4. Roast for 5 minutes then add the walnuts and cook for a further 5 minutes, or until the figs are golden, plump and slightly softened.
5. Allow to cool to room temperature.
6. Put the spinach on a platter or in a salad bowl, add the figs and walnuts, and crumble over the goat’s cheese.
7. Drizzle with olive oil and the lemon juice. Top with the thyme, a grind or two of black pepper, some microherbs, extra spinach and roasted orange slices, if using.