Ingredients:
4 medium beets
4 medium leeks, cut into 4-inch pieces (total 4 cups)
½ ounce coarsely chopped cilantro
1¼ cups lettuce or radicchio, or both, chopped into bite-size pieces
Dressing:
1 cup walnuts coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
¼ teaspoon chili flakes
¼ cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons tamarind water
½ teaspoon walnut oil
2½ tablespoons peanut oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Wrap beets in parchment paper then aluminum foil and roast them in the oven for 1-1½ hours, depending on their size. Once cooked, you should be able to stick a small knife through the center easily. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
2. Once cooled enough to handle, peel the beets, halve them and cut each half into 3/8-inch wedges. Put them in a medium bowl and set aside.
3. Place the leeks in medium pan with salted water, bring to a boil, and simmer for 10 minutes, until just until cooked; it’s important to not overcook them so they don’t fall apart. Drain and refresh under cold water, then use a very sharp serrated knife to cut each segment into 3 smaller pieces and pat dry. Transfer to a bowl, separate from the beets, and set aside.
4. While the vegetables are cooking, mix together all the dressing ingredients and leave to one side for 10 minutes so all the flavors come together.
5. Divide the walnut dressing and the cilantro equally between the beets and leeks and toss gently. Taste both and add more salt if necessary.
6. To put the salad together – spread most of the beets on a serving platter, top with some of the lettuce/radicchio, then most of the leeks, then the remaining beets, then finish with more beets and greens.
Serves 4