It's hard to discipline myself to cook when the weather is so lovely, but locally-produced goodies make pulling dinner together a cinch. A friend advised me to try some pickled baby beets from Jenny's Dexter Market, located on Island Lake Road, a 15-20 minute drive from downtown Ann Arbor.

It's such fun visiting this "farm stand" in the fall. Of course an out-of-the-oven pumpkin donut is an essential purchase, but I also couldn't resist their Chow-Chow (fantastic on a barbecue sandwich) or their homemade Hoppin Frog, a jam made with raspberries, jalapenos, figs and ginger. Wouldn't that make a easy nosh with cream cheese and crackers? Those items plus local honey and — what I came for in the first place — pickled baby beets made the trip well worth the gas.

Beets and goat cheese are marital bliss. I picked up some Tecumseh-produced goat cheese (Four Corners Chevre) from the Produce Station, along with an Avalon demi-baguette, on the way home.

I could have made dinner even simpler by not seasoning and toasting the bread, but I enjoy the crisp texture and crunch of crostini. I served the platter with a watercress salad, lightly dressed with olive oil, lemon juice and a bit of crushed garlic.

Ingredients

1 demi baguette*, cut diagonally into 1/3-inch thick slices (about 10 pieces)
1 garlic clove, cut in half
1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
1/2- 3/4 cup pickled baby beets, sliced
3-4 ounces softened goat cheese

*Day-old bread is fine.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Rub cut side of garlic over bread slices, brush with olive oil and lightly season each slice with dried herbs. Place on a cooking sheet on middle rack of oven. Bake 6-8 minutes or until golden brown and crisp.
3. Place sliced beets in a small serving dish. Arrange beets, cheese and baguette on a platter and serve.