Beets:

Preheat oven to 400°F.

 Drizzle beets with evoo, sprinkle with kosher salt, and wrap in foil. Roast beets in a 400°F oven for 1 hour, or until a knife easily pierces beets without any resistance. Cool beets, scrape off peel, and slice into ½-inch slices.

Goat Cheese Medallions:

Using unflavored floss (or thin kitchen string), gently prepare thin slices of goat cheese by holding the floss ends in each hand and slicing downwards through the goat cheese with the floss.

Carefully dredge each slice in beaten egg, then flavored bread or panko crumbs. Transfer breaded cheese rounds to wax paper until ready to fry.

Heat canola oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. When oil is hot and shimmering, fry cheese rounds until golden brown, turning once — about 2 minutes per side.

Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.

 Meyer Lemon-Honey Dressing:  

Combine all ingredients except oil in a small mixing bowl. Whisk to blend. Continue to whisk while slowly pouring in a stream of oil. Whisk until well blended and emulsified.

Season to taste with more salt and pepper as needed.

Assembly:

Toss baby spinach leaves with about half the dressing in a large mixing bowl until lightly coated with dressing.

Divide greens among salad plates; arrange sliced beets and pears in an alternating pattern around the perimeter of the plate, then add a sprinkling of minced red onion. Drizzle a little more dressing over salad.

Place 1 to 2 goat cheese rounds in the center of the beets and pears. Garnish with a sprinkling of nuts and season to taste with a few grinds of black pepper. Serve immediately.

Recipe published in JOY of KOSHER with Jamie Geller magazine Winter 2015. Subscribe Now.