Beet and Apple Salad

Shorey particularly likes this sweet salad with red beets, apples, and pecans. I can buy vacuum-packed peeled precooked beets in my supermarket, and they are a real time-saver; if these aren’t available where you live, boil or bake two or three beets until they are well cooked and tender. I always rinse my hands with water prior to handling red beets, which helps prevent staining, and I also line the cutting board with plastic wrap to prevent staining it. The apple adds sweetness and crunchiness, and the pecans lend texture and depth. The sour cream dressing is delicate and mild, and fresh dill finishes the salad nicely.

Serves 4

• 1 package peeled cooked beets (about 8 ounces)
• 1 firm apple (about 8 ounces), such as Pippin, Red Delicious, or Granny Smith
• ⅓ cup pecan halves, broken into 2 or 3 pieces each
• ½ cup sour cream
• 1½ tablespoons red wine vinegar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 8 Boston lettuce leaves, preferably hydroponic
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill sprigs

Place the beets in a colander and rinse them under cold water. Place them on a cutting board lined with plastic wrap and cut into ½- to ¾-inch dice. Put the diced beets in a bowl.

Peel and core the apple and cut it into ½-inch dice. Add to the bowl with the beets, then add the pecans, sour cream, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Mix well and set aside at room temperature until serving time (no more than 2 hours).

To serve, arrange 2 lettuce leaves on each of four plates. Top with the salad and garnish with the dill.