Recipe: Chioggia Beets with Raspberry Mint Vinaigrette

from Gourmet magazine

Ingredients

1 lb beets (4 to 6; preferably Chioggia*), 1 inch of stems left intact
3 tablespoons thinly sliced scallions
2 to 2 1/2 tablespoons raspberry vinegar
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, or to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon finely grated fresh orange zest (from 2 oranges)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil

Garnish: fresh mint sprigs

Preparation:

Cover beets with water by 1 inch in a 2- to 3-quart saucepan and simmer until tender when pierced in center with a fork, about 30 minutes.
Drain in a colander and rinse under cold running water.
Let stand until cool enough to handle, then slip off and discard skins.
Cut beets into 1/4-inch-thick slices.

While beets are cooking, stir together scallions, 2 tablespoons vinegar, lemon juice to taste, mint, zest, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
Add oil in a slow stream, whisking until combined.
Add warm beets and toss with vinaigrette and vinegar and salt to taste.
Serve warm or slightly chilled.

*Sometimes called candy-cane beets, chioggias become more aggressive in flavor as they age, so search out relatively young beets, with a diameter of 1 1/2 to 2 inches.