June---

You have caught my curiosity. I have seen this combination of flavors used together a number of times. Yet I can’t remember exactly where I have seen it. I have a rather large collection of cookbooks and decided to see if I could find what you are asking about. A number of my French-style cookbooks use these combinations together yet they usually are listed with a French/Russian name.

I looked in The Balthazar Cookbook, Jacques Pepin’s La Technique, CIA’S The New Professional Chef, The New Catering Repertoire, Martha Stewart's Hors d'Oeuvres Handbook, Barefoot Contessa's cookbooks, Russo and Lukins’ The New Basics Cookbook as well as The Silver Palate Cookbook… not to mention the The Food Lover's Companion and a number of vegetarian cookbooks. All of these cookbooks had variations of what you were referring to, however, none had a neutral dressing.

Part of the beauty of what you were describing is the simplicity of ingredients. As you know, since the ingredient list is so simple it is a requirement that each individual ingredient be of the highest quality. A couple of observations of what you stated. If it was true, that there was no creamy based dressing, or overpowering vinaigrette dressing, then it is possible that the natural sugars from the roasted beets in combination with the room temperature cheese, may have caused them to “bind” on their own accord.

In looking at the common factors in some of the salads listed in my cookbooks, it may be possible that there may have been a very subtle dressing made using a neutral oil, such as Canola and an acid that may have not been noticed such as lemon juice (and of course salt and perhaps white pepper). You would use the dressing lightly on the beets, and then gently mix the prepared beets with the blue/Roquefort. Oil would act as a protector in keeping the beet juice from running all over the pristine blue. The flavors might have been hidden behind the tangy blue/Roquefort, bitter endive, and the sweet beet.

This sounds like a very tasty starter. The more of the basic 5 taste sensations, Salty, Bitter, Sweet, Sour, and Spicy (hot), the more “complex” the flavor. It confuses your taste buds, and you don’t know exactly what it is that you like, but you know you like it!!!

I hope this may have helped you out. I will try to put something together in the next week or two and see how it goes using your ideas. Let me know how you fare as well!