<p>Here’s a simple but elegant beet salad we learned from a little Italian trattoria on the Upper West Side of Manhattan: Steam 2-3 beets until tender (an hour +/- depending on the size of the beets). Slice and let cool. Arrange beets on a thin bed of lettuce (red leaf or Bibb is good). Slice an avocado and arrange on top of beets. Sprinkle with crumbled chevre (soft goat cheese, natural not herbed). Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and fresh lemon. </p>
<p>The contrasting colors make for a beautiful presentation, the tastes are delightfully complementary, and it’s really easy to make, pretty much impossible to mess up (though I did forget about the beets once and ruined not only the beets but the sauce pan in which I was steaming them). Tip: you don’t need to peel the beets before steaming them. Once they’re soft, the skins will slip right off, much easier than trying to peel a raw beet.</p>
<p>For us here in Minnesota this is cheating a bit on the “locavore” concept since avocados, olives, and lemons won’t grow here. But we get terrific locally grown organic beets and outstanding local sustainably produced chevre, and the other ingredients show off these local products in their most favorable light. Californians and Italians should be able to get all local ingredients.</p>