The Gold Medal Recipes

THE GOLD MEDAL

Steps:

• Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add 1 ounce Goldschlager, 1 ounce dark rum, a squeeze of lemon juice and a dash of orange bitters. Shake, then strain into an ice-filled glass.

GOLD MEDAL SLIDERS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Separate the beets from the greens. Set aside the greens. Place the beets on a large sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil, add the rosemary sprigs and season with salt and pepper. Fold the foil up and around the beets to create a closed packet and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until tender, 1 hour. Open the packet carefully to release the steam, then refrigerate the packet for 2 hours or up to 3 days.
• Put the reserved beet greens (about 2 cups), basil leaves, walnuts, Parmesan, garlic, honey and lemon juice in a blender. Season with salt and pepper. Turn on the blender and drizzle in the 1 cup oil until smooth. If the pesto becomes too thick, add 1 tablespoon of water. Set aside.
• If using bacon, put the slices in a large cold skillet and cook over medium heat, flipping halfway through, until crispy, about 6 minutes total. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
• When the beets are chilled, discard the rosemary from the foil packet. Wearing food prep gloves, peel the skin from the chilled beets with a paring knife. Slice the beets into about twelve 1/2-inch-thick rounds (or gold medals). Any smaller pieces of the beets can also be used to make a slider, so do not discard. Slice the goat cheese into twelve 1/8-inch-thick rounds. Cut the bacon slices in half if using.
• Spread the pesto on the inside of the top and bottom of a slider bun. Place a few arugula leaves on the bottom bun and top with 1 beet round, 1 goat cheese round, half a piece of bacon if using, a drizzle of balsamic glaze and the top bun. Repeat with the remaining buns, pesto, arugula, beets, goat cheese and balsamic. Serve.