May 14
2012

Dubliner Cheese & Cayenne Crisps with Golden Beet & Basil Salad Recipe

Dubliner Cheese & Cayenne Crisps with Golden Beet & Basil Salad Recipe

In a previous post, I claimed to have not a drop of Irish blood coursing through my veins. Of course, if I realized at the time that I was turning my back on a heritage of creamy cheeses and butters, I would have delved a little further into my family roots. Luckily, my dad is a better historian than I am and told me a story (hold on, I’m going to share it) that makes me want to hop on a plane headed to the land of the Blarney Stone, adorn myself in green and gold and pour myself a pint of Guinness with a frothy head. In the meantime, I’ll satisfy myself with these Dubliner Cheese crisps, made spicy with cayenne pepper, paired with a sweet and savory salad of beets, celery and basil. Now, the story.

Shortly after I wrote that post, I received an email from my dad. I’ll let him tell the story. This is what he said: “I hate to be the bearer of shocking tidings but you do have some Irish blood. Through Granmum from your great-grandmother. There was a great story that your great-grandmother’s female ancestor had a castle in the Irish countryside where Oliver Cromwell’s armies were roaming and plundering. Thinking ahead, she invited Cromwell to tea, thinking that might deter him and his troops from laying waste to her domains. Apparently it was a successful ploy and when he finished his tea, Cromwell bestowed on her a lovely shawl as a thank you memento. I have that shawl. I have never figured out how to prove its provenance. Perhaps when you get it someday, you can work on that!” Now I can say that I come by my love for Irish cheese and frothy beer honestly!

Dubliner Cheese & Cayenne Crisps with Golden Beet & Basil Salad Recipe

When I came across these golden beets at the market, I simply couldn’t resist the beautiful color that promised a natural sweetness and tender texture when roasted. The sweetness is the perfect foil for the salty and spicy crisps, made simply by baking a mixture of Kerrygold’s Dubliner cheese, cayenne pepper and flour.

Dubliner Cheese & Cayenne Crisps with Golden Beet & Basil Salad Recipe

Kerrygold cheeses and butters offer a unique taste and creaminess because of the milk and cream used to make them. The milk comes from grass-fed cows…cows that are allowed to go through the natural process of calving and drying up as their bodies dictate (rather than being artificially forced to produce milk by the injection of hormones). The Cashel Blue Farmhouse Cheese is another one of my favorites and I’ve found myself sprinkling it on salads and steaks alike with abandon.

Kerrygold Cheese, along with Paula of Bell’alimento and Susan of DoughMesstic, is hosting a virtual dinner party. We, along with several other bloggers, created a meal you won’t want to miss. Here are the other dishes:

Bell’alimento’s Beef Tagliata, Arugula & Mushrooms Salad with Kerrygold Cashel Blue
DoughMesstic’s Crispy Dubliner Bites with Toasted Walnuts, Pear & Cashel Blue
Eclectic Recipes’ Summer Steak Salad & Shrimp Flatbread with Kerrygold Cheeses

If you would like to learn more about Kerrygold, head to their website, follow them on Twitter and/or “like” them on Facebook.

And now, onto the recipe.

The recipe:

The salad:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Place the trimmed beets in a metal baking pan filled 1/2 inch deep with water. Cover with foil.

Roast until the beets are easily pierced with a fork, about 1 hour 20 minutes (depending on the size of the beets). Remove the beets from the pan and let them rest until they are cool enough to handle.

Using your hands, slip the skins off of the beets, and cut the beets into 1/2-inch cubes.

Dubliner Cheese & Cayenne Crisps with Golden Beet & Basil Salad Recipe

In a large bowl, gently toss together the beets and celery.

In a small bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour about 2/3 of the dressing over the beet salad. Taste and add more dressing, if desired. Stir in the basil.

The cheese crisps:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat.

In a medium bowl, mix together the Dubliner cheese, flour and cayenne pepper.

Using 1 tablespoon of the cheese mixture for each crisp, spread the cheese in a small circle, being sure not to spread it too thin. Leave about 3/4-inch between each crisp.

Dubliner Cheese & Cayenne Crisps with Golden Beet & Basil Salad Recipe

Bake until the cheese is bubbling and golden brown, 6 to 7 minutes. Remove from the oven and carefully transfer each crisp to a wire rack. Cool completely (they will harden as they cool).

Serve each portion of salad with 1-2 cheese crisps.

Dubliner Cheese & Cayenne Crisps with Golden Beet & Basil Salad Recipe

Yield: Seves 4 to 6

From the kitchen of Cookin Canuck. www.cookincanuck.com

Ingredients

    Salad:
  • 2 1/4 lb. (about 5 medium) golden beets, trimmed and rinsed
  • 3 large stalks celery, thinly sliced
  • 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 7 large basil leaves, thinly sliced
  • Crisps:
  • 1 cup (lightly packed) coarsely grated Kerrygold Dubliner Cheese
  • 1 1/2 tsp all-purpose flour
  • 1/8-1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Instructions

    Salad:
  1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
  2. Place the trimmed beets in a metal baking pan filled 1/2 inch deep with water. Cover with foil.
  3. Roast until the beets are easily pierced with a fork, about 1 hour 20 minutes (depending on the size of the beets). Remove the beets from the pan and let them rest until they are cool enough to handle.
  4. Using your hands, slip the skins off of the beets, and cut the beets into 1/2-inch cubes.
  5. In a large bowl, gently toss together the beets and celery.
  6. In a small bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour about 2/3 of the dressing over the beet salad. Taste and add more dressing, if desired.
  7. Stir in the basil.
  8. Crisps:
  9. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat.
  10. In a medium bowl, mix together the Dubliner cheese, flour and cayenne pepper.
  11. Using 1 tablespoon of the cheese mixture for each crisp, spread the cheese in a small circle, being sure not to spread it too thin. Leave about 3/4-inch between each crisp.
  12. Bake until the cheese is bubbling and golden brown, 6 to 7 minutes. Remove from the oven and carefully transfer each crisp to a wire rack. Cool completely (they will harden as they cool).
  13. Serve each portion of salad with 1-2 cheese crisps.

Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by Kerrygold. They also provided me with products to use in making this recipe.

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{ 33 comments… read them below or add one }

1 Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar May 14, 2012 at 7:21 am

Yum!! This sounds delicious.

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2 Deborah May 14, 2012 at 7:23 am

What a fun story! And this salad sounds delicious – those beets are gorgeous!

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3 Paula- bell'alimento May 14, 2012 at 7:29 am

Dara what a great story! I am in love with all things Kerrygold! Your Dubliner chese cayenne crisps with that fresh beet salad look perfect to eat all summer long!

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4 brandi May 14, 2012 at 7:40 am

beautiful dish, Dara! We LOVE that Dubliner cheese. It’s incredible.

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5 Ali @ Gimme Some Oven May 14, 2012 at 7:50 am

I lovvvvvvve Dubliner cheese! And those beets are GORGEOUS. :)

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6 Emilie @ Emilie's Enjoyables May 14, 2012 at 7:57 am

I absolutely love golden beets, everything about this looks delicious!

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7 lynn May 14, 2012 at 8:01 am

Hi Dara, This recipe looks lucious and I would like to ‘pin it’ but none of the images are available for pinning…help… :)

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8 lynn May 14, 2012 at 8:01 am

nevermind, now it worke. Thanks anyway

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9 Jenny Flake May 14, 2012 at 8:12 am

LOVE everything about this dish Dara! Happy Monday to you!

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10 Julia {The Roasted Root} May 14, 2012 at 8:25 am

The beet salad sounds awesome – I love the way beets make a dish so warm and naturally sweet. Betcha didn’t know this, but Dubliner cheese is my favorite! Next time I have a block of it, I’ll be trying your crisps. Great little appetizer you got goin on!

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11 Angie May 14, 2012 at 8:29 am

This is just too pretty! I can’t wait to try this recipe, thanks Dara!

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12 kelley May 14, 2012 at 8:41 am

What a cute story! I’m all for the cheese crisps……the beets I don’t do. :) But it’s a beautiful salad none the less!

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13 Robyn Stone | Add a Pinch May 14, 2012 at 8:51 am

What a beautiful dish, Dara. Love those crisps.

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14 bellini May 14, 2012 at 8:52 am

These tiny crisps sound delicious and it is a well known fact, at least around my household, that I can’t refuse a beet.

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15 Jenn May 14, 2012 at 9:16 am

Welcome to the (Irish) family! Great story. I’ve yet to ever try a beet. Now I’m wondering if I should give them a try. This recipe looks good.

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16 Sommer@ASpicyPerspective May 14, 2012 at 9:41 am

Oooo, golden beets are my favorite Dara! And the cheese crisps are so pretty. :)

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17 Susan @ Doughmesstic.com May 14, 2012 at 9:46 am

Gorgeous meal, Dara!! Perfect for summer!

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18 Georgia @ The Comfort of Cooking May 14, 2012 at 10:28 am

I love making simple cheese crisps for soup, but I never thought to add them to a salad! Wonderful recipes, Dara!

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19 Stephanie May 14, 2012 at 10:46 am

Love the cheese crisps! I’ll definitely give those a try. Thanks!

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20 Natalie May 14, 2012 at 11:25 am

Dara, this looks fantastic! I love my beets, and am always making salads like this… The cheese crisp is a nice touch! Definitely going to try this! :-D

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21 Sandy May 14, 2012 at 11:29 am

What a fun family story! I love finding out little tidbits that tie ancestors to historical events, it brings your great grandmother to life when you can read other things about Cromwell in her area.

Love the beet salad, it is perfect with delicious Dubliner cheese.

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22 Shawn @ I Wash...You Dry May 14, 2012 at 1:19 pm

A meal centered around cheese?! Yes Please! This salad looks so good! I want to try some of those golden beets! They look fabulous!

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23 Denise @ Creative Kitchen May 14, 2012 at 1:46 pm

I love, love, love Kerrygold!! Their butter is the most amazing creation on earth! I love the idea of a virtual dinner party. :)

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24 Jeanette May 14, 2012 at 2:04 pm

I always enjoy hearing about your dad and your family stories. Beautiful salad and the crisps look so nice, thin and light!

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25 Lori @ RecipeGirl May 14, 2012 at 3:39 pm

No Irish blood in my family, but I do love myself some Dubliner cheese. Wonder if they would turn out as well without the flour… like Parmesan Crisps?

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26 Jamie | My Baking Addiction May 14, 2012 at 4:42 pm

What a great story, Dara! And that Dubliner cheese is all kinds of amazing!

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27 carolinaheartstrings May 14, 2012 at 6:09 pm

Golden beets. I must try these. Will be looking for the at the farmer’s market. Love the post.

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28 Laura @ Gluten Free Pantry May 14, 2012 at 7:09 pm

Golden beets and Dubliner cheese–now that’s what I call perfection!

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29 Sylvie @ Gourmande in the Kitchen May 16, 2012 at 5:21 am

Wow, what a cool story!!

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30 www.citronlimette.com May 16, 2012 at 6:21 pm

Great summer recipe. Thanks

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31 Purabi Naha May 17, 2012 at 1:21 am

I loved this salad…so fresh and yummy. Accompanied by these cheese crisps, this salad is so unique! Loved this.

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32 JulieD May 18, 2012 at 8:21 am

I love dubliner…how creative to make cheese crisps! I have never tried golden beets before, I need to keep a look out for them at the grocery store.

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33 Thyme (Sarah) May 18, 2012 at 2:24 pm

OH yes, you definitely should go to Ireland…they do love their cheeses there. I love the idea of the cheese crisps. We’ve all 4 taken sugar out of our diets for 2 (hopefully more) weeks and something crunchy would be nice to have with our (many) salads. I also saw some of those beautiful beets yesterday. I have to work up my nerve to roast them as beets and I are still trying to be friends…

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