Ingredients
One bunch beets (3 or 4)
1Tablespoon olive oil or Wegmans basting oil
1/2 cup walnuts
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 to 1/2 cup Gorgonzola, crumbled
1 baguette
1 head of garlic, roasted
Preparation
To roast beets: Preheat oven to 425. Trim beets to remove greens. Drizzle with oil. Roast, covered with aluminum foil for 25 minutes or until beets are tender. At the same time, wrap a trimmed head of garlic in aluminum foil and roast. Let beets cool until they are easy to handle. Remove skins. (This step can be done a day or two before preparing the appetizer.)
To prepare candied walnuts: Lay walnuts out on a baking sheet in a single layer. Toast for 5 minutes at 425. Remove from oven and let cool in pan. Place toasted walnuts and sugar in a skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves into a light brown liquid and coats the walnuts. Remove walnuts from skillet, and spread them out on a sheet of aluminum foil to cool. (This step can be done a day or two before preparing the appetizer.)
To prepare garlic toasts: Slice a baguette in diagonal slices. Spread with roasted garlic and brush with olive oil. Toast in heated oven while appetizer is baking.
To prepare appetizer: Preheat oven to 350. Chop beets coarsely. Mix with 1/2 c. candied walnuts, and arrange in a baking dish. Sprinkle with 1/3 to 1/2 c. crumbled gorgonzola. Bake for 20 minutes or until gorgonzola is softened.
