BEETS WITH BLOOD ORANGE SALAD

We have beets all year round in LA, but I think the Blood Orange season is closing and I've been wanting to try this for awhile. It was delicious and I nice change of pace from my standby for beets, ROASTED BEET SALAD. This is adapted from a recipe in “Chez Panisse Vegetables” by Alice Waters. Hers calls for endive, but we had lots of lettuce in the garden so I just used that. I also halved the recipe.

1 lb. beets, greens removed
¼ cup walnut pieces
1 blood orange
Zest of ½ orange
1 tablespoon orange juice
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/8 cup olive oil
salt and pepper
small head of lettuce (or endive)

Preheat oven to 400 and roast beets inside foil packages, until tender. (40 – 75 minutes depending on how big they are.) While oven is on, toast the walnuts on a baking sheet for about 5 minutes. When beets are done, allow to cool slightly, then rub off skins with a paper towel, cut off end and slice, setting aside.

Trim off the top and bottom of the orange and then pare off the rest of the peel, removing all the pith. Slice into ¼ inch rounds.

Make a vinaigrette by mixing together the zest, juice and vinegar and then whisking in the oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Toss beets gently with the vinaigrette, then arrange them on plates with orange slices on top of lettuce leaves. Drizzle with remaining vinaigrette and sprinkle with walnuts.