Yellow Beets and Cherry Salad

Beets and cherries make a perfect match in this fresh salad!

Antimo Cimino is a chef and travel consultant from Puglia, Southern Italy. He is the author of "Food You'll Make Love To: Ah Those Italians!" a cookbook of family recipes, short stories and travel tips. He moved to Portland twenty-three years ago and he now runs www.voomago.com, a travel company specialized in Tours to Italy. He takes people all over Italy, cooking with family and friends and giving people a very authentic experience of the Italian culture. 

Makes 2 Servings

Ingredients

• 2 yellow beets

• 1/2 cup of pitted cherries, halved

• 1 cup frissee’ salad (or any lettuce)

• 1 lemon

• 1 orange

• 2 Tablespoons of raspberry juice (use a sieve to extract)

• 1 Tablespoon chopped walnuts

• 2 thin slices of watermelon radish

• Fresh mint leaves

• Extra virgin olive oil

• Balsamic vinegar cream

• Edible flowers to decorate

• Salt

Preparation

Boil the beets till soft through the center, peel and cool.

Cut them at the desired thickness and set aside.

Place the pitted cherries in a saucepan with a little olive oil over high hear. Brown lightly. Add the juice and pulp of one orange and half a lemon and some salt. Allow the juice to reduce until a little thick. Take off the heat and set to the side.

In a bowl or dish, start assembling your salad starting with the beets. Use a little creativity. Add the cherry sauce, a sprinkle of salt, greens, a few drops of balsamic vinegar cream and of raspberry juice. Finish with chopped walnuts, fresh mint leaves, a couple of edible flowers and a slice of watermelon radish.