Ingredients

• 1 bunch of beets, leaves removed (save them for beet greens!) - about 4 or 5 medium sized
  
• 2 large navel oranges, peels cut off with a small small knife and sliced
  
• 1 bunch of arugula leaves, cleaned, and any thick stems removed
  
• Several thin slices of red onion
  
• optional 1/4 cup chopped walnuts

In a small jar, mix the following ingredients. The mustard is there to act primarily as an emulsifier.

• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
  
• 1/4 cup olive oil
  
• 1/4 teaspoon dried mustard
  
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

1 Cook the beets with their peel on. I prefer the boiling method because it's more efficient - cover the beets with water, bring to a boil, and simmer for 30 minutes or until beets can easily be pierced through with a fork. Alternatively you can wrap the beets in aluminum foil and bake them in the oven at 400°F for an hour or until done. After cooking, allow the beets to come to room temperature and remove their peels. Slice or quarter them. If you have time, place them in a small bowl and marinate them in half of the oil and vinegar dressing, ingredients listed above.

2 Compose individual salad plates with arugula, a few slices of orange, a few beets, a few slices of red onion and a few chopped walnuts. If you want some added color, gently add a few slices of the orange to the beet juice from your bowl of beets. Let the oranges absorb the beet color and use in your salad. Sprinkle dressing over the individual salads.

Serves 4.