4 medium fresh beets
3 blood oranges OR red navel oranges
1 large shallot
kosher salt
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
1/2 cup walnut or olive oil
6 - 8 cups mixed baby greens
1/2 cup toasted, chopped walnuts
Preheat
oven to 400 degrees. Cut away tops of beets, leaving about 1 inch of
the stems and enclose them completely in foil. Place directly on the
oven rack and roast for about 1 hour, or until tender when pierced with a
fork. Cool, slip the skins off, and slice the beets into 1/2 inch
slices. Set aside.
Grate
the zest of 1 orange into a small bowl. Cut the orange in half and
squeeze the juice from one half into the grated zest (reserve the other
half for use later.) Set aside.
Cut
a slice from each end of the other 2 oranges, until you can see the
flesh. Stand the oranges on end and cut down the sides to peel away the
skin and the white pith, leaving only the flesh of the orange. Cut the
oranges into thin round slices and set aside.
Peel
the shallot, mince finely, and add it immediately to the orange juice
and zest. Add the salt; whisk in first the vinegar and then the oil.
Taste to determine whether it needs more oil, vinegar, or juice from the
remaining half orange and adjust so that the dressing is tart enough to
balance the sweetness of the oranges and beets.
To
serve: Arrange the greens on a platter. Toss the beets with a few
tablespoons of the vinaigrette to coat evenly and then arrange the
slices over the greens. Lay the orange slices around the platter and
sprinkle the walnuts over the entire platter. Spoon enough vinaigrette
over the entire salad to coat lightly and then serve immediately.
