Creamy Beet Salad

When I was growing up, I usually ate vegetables because I had to and beets offered no exception. Even their sweetness or delectable shade of purple couldn't tempt me. Thankfully, time and my evolving taste buds have made me a fan, although I prefer them paired with other interesting ingredients such as nuts and cheese. This unconventional salad was yummy with a little bbq'd chicken (thanks Ruedi). No surprises here: the cheese and nut combo sold me on the recipe.

From: Bravo! Best of Bridge Cookbook. p 71

Serves 6

• 5 medium-sized beets, trimmed
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 4 T red wine vinegar
• 2 T olive oil
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• chunk of blue cheese (ie. Roquefort, Stilton, etc.)

Preheat oven to 450F. Wrap beets individually in tin foil, place them on a cookie sheet and bake them in the oven for approximately one hour.  Remove beets from the oven and their foil and let cool. Chop them into matchstick pieces. In a large bowl, combine beets and onion, add vinegar and oil; toss to coat. Gently stir in sour cream. Sprinkle with pecans and crumble cheese over top. Season to taste with pepper.