Blood Orange and Beet Salad

Ingredients:

½ cup walnut halves
1 ½ pounds golden beets, washed and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 ½ pounds red beets, washed and cut into 1-inch cubes
Extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt
6 blood oranges, washed, peeled and cut into ¼ -inch thick slices
½ pound mixed salad greens, washed and dried
3 small blood oranges
1 medium shallot, peeled, trimmed and minced
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
Sea Salt
Black pepper
½ cup extra virgin olive oil

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

Note: If golden beets are not available you may make the salad using 3 pounds of red beets.

Preparation:

• While the oven is pre-heating, place the walnuts on an ungreased baking sheet and roast until they are a golden brown, about 5 minutes. Chop coarsely and set aside.
• Use two cookie sheets or make a tin foil divider to go in the middle of a cookie sheet. This keeps the two colors from bleeding into each other. Sprinkle olive oil and then sea salt on all the beet pieces and massage the oil into the pieces. Bake until they are fork tender, about 30-40 minutes.
• Meanwhile prepare the oranges and salad greens.
• To make a vinaigrette, juice the 3 blood oranges. Whisk with the shallots and sherry vinegar. Add salt and pepper to taste. Whisk in the olive oil
• In a large bowl, toss the beets and their juices together with enough vinaigrette to coat. Add the orange pieces and gently toss again.
• Drizzle some of the vinaigrette over the salad greens. Toss the beets, oranges and greens together.
• Sprinkle the walnuts on top before serving.