Beet Salad with Cornbread Croutons and Country Ham

Ingredients

• 6 servings aged balsamic vinegar 
• 12 inch baby beets assorted trimmed (preferably colors)
• 1 teaspoon double-acting baking powder 
• 0.3 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1  bay leaves 
• 6 tablespoons butter divided ()
• 1 cup buttermilk 
• 0.3 cup flour white
• 6 servings kosher salt 
• 1 cup cornmeal 
• 3 ounces country ham very thinly sliced
• 2 teaspoons dijon mustard 
• 1 large eggs 
• 6 servings fleur del sel 
• 5 ounce goat cheese fresh crumbled soft
• 0.5 cup grapefruit juice fresh
• 0.3 cup juice of lemon fresh
• 1  lemon zest yellow cut into thin 2-inch-long strips ( part only)
• 6 servings olive oil 
• 0.5 cup orange juice fresh
• 1  orange zest cut into thin 2-inch-long strips (orange part only)
• 4 teaspoons parsley fresh italian minced chopped
• 6 tablespoons vegetable oil; peanut oil preferred 
• 1.5 teaspoons pepper black
• 6 servings peppercorns black
• 2 tablespoons sorghum syrup 
• 3 small onion sweet (such as Vidalia or Maui; 1 pound)
• 6 large thyme sprigs fresh
• 0.8 cup water 

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• baking sheet
• sauce pan
• baking paper
• oven
• whisk
• aluminum foil
• broiler

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Mix first 6ingredients in 13x9x2-inch glass bakingdish.
3. Add beets and toss to coat. Coverwith foil and roast until beets are tender,about 45 minutes. Cool; peel.
4. Place 9- or 10-inch-diametercast-iron skillet in oven; preheatto 400°F.
5. Whisk first 5 ingredients inmedium bowl. Melt 4 tablespoons butter.
6. Whisk melted butter, buttermilk, and egg inanother medium bowl.
7. Add wet ingredientsto dry ingredients; whisk batter to blend.
8. Place 2 tablespoons butter in hotskillet; swirl to coat.
9. Add batter.
10. Bake untiltop is golden and tester inserted into centercomes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Coolin skillet. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 dayahead. Cover; store at room temperature.
11. Add enoughwater to small saucepan to measure 11/2inches; bring to boil.
12. Add orange peel.Blanch 1 minute; drain. Repeat blanchingprocedure with lemon peel; reserve lemonpeel for serving. Return orange peel tosame pan and add orange juice, grapefruitjuice, and sorghum syrup. Bring to boil,reduce heat to medium-low, and simmeruntil reduced to generous 1/3 cup, about 20minutes.
13. Whisk lemon juice and mustardin medium bowl; whisk in oil.
14. Whiskin orange-grapefruit reduction. Seasonvinaigrette with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Can be made 4 hours ahead.
15. Letstand at room temperature.
16. Preheat broiler. Line smallbaking sheet with foil.
17. Place onion sliceswith rings intact on sheet.
18. Brush withoil; sprinkle with coarse salt. Broil onionsuntil browned, watching closely to preventburning, about 10 minutes. Turn and broiluntil browned, about 5 minutes longer.
19. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F.
20. Cutcornbread into 1/2-inch cubes. Spray rimmedbaking sheet with nonstick spray.
21. Spreadcornbread in even layer on prepared sheet.Toast until golden brown around edges,turning occasionally, about 35 minutes.
22. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.Line rimmed baking sheet with parchmentpaper. Arrange ham in single layer onprepared baking sheet. Top with anothersheet of parchment paper, then anotherrimmed baking sheet to press ham. Roastuntil ham is crisp, 10 to 20 minutes,depending on thickness of ham.
23. Removetop baking sheet and parchment paper.Cool. Break ham into bite-size pieces.
24. Whisk 4 teaspoons minced parsleyinto vinaigrette.
25. Mix in reserved lemonpeel. Quarter beets. Toss with some ofvinaigrette (if using assorted colors, toss inseparate bowls).
26. Sprinkle with fleur de seland cracked black pepper. Separate onionrings. Divide rings among plates in singlelayer. Arrange beets in and around onionrings.
27. Sprinkle goat cheese over. Scatterham and croutons over.
28. Sprinkle fleur desel and 1 tablespoon chopped parsley over.
29. Drizzle with some of remaining vinaigretteand aged balsamic vinegar.
30. * A syrup made from the cooked juice ofsorghum cane; available at specialty foodsstores and at muddypondsorghum.com.
31. ** A type of sea salt; available at somesupermarkets and at specialty foods stores.