New Potato And Niagara Gold Melt With Pickled Beets

by Chef Jamie Kennedy

Simple but delicious. The leftover marinated beets keep very well in the refrigerator. You can substitute purchased pickled beets if you prefer.

18 small new potatoes
6 small golden beets
6 candy cane beets
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 shallot, peeled and finely diced
Salt and freshly ground pepper
450 grams Niagara Gold or Oka cheese

Place potatoes in a pot and cover with cold, salted water. Bring to boil over high heat and boil for 10 minutes or until tender. Drain and let cool.

While potatoes are boiling, place beets in a separate pot and cover with cold, salted water. Bring to boil over high heat and boil until tender. If they are very small, they will take approximately the same amount of time as the potatoes. Drain and let cool.
Preheat oven to 350 F.

Peel and cut beets into quarters. While they are still warm, toss with vinegar and shallots and season with salt and pepper. Reserve.

Cut potatoes in half and season with salt and pepper. Place 6 potato halves, cut side up, in the centre of 6 ovenproof plates. Cut cheese into 6 wedges and place one wedge on each mound of potatoes. Place the plates in the oven and bake for 12 minutes or until cheese has melted.

Garnish each plate with marinated beets.

Wine pairing by Beppi Crosariol:

Pure, simple, country comfort food with a polished, masterful touch. It would be tempting to pair it with a glass of farm-fresh milk, but let’s not forget that grapes, too, come from farms. The vinegar marinade strongly suggests a white with good acidity, while the spuds and cheese call for something with fleshy texture. Best choices include unoaked or lightly oaked chardonnay or even a precociously styled sauvignon blanc from New Zealand. International choices: Patriarche Chardonnay Bourgogne from France ($15); Babich Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand ($16). Canadian choice: Norman Hardie Chardonnay from Prince Edward County ($30).