Asparagus and Beet Salad

A lovely holiday dinner salad. The colorful combination of red beets and green asparagus is irresistible.

Ingredients

1 pound small beets

2 pounds asparagus

1 tablespoon chopped shallot

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground pepper

1/8 cup olive oil

Honey Tips

Honey Is Magic

In the days before biology and botany were understood, people thought it was a special kind of magic that turned flower nectar into honey.

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°.
Place beets in a 9 X 13-inch baking dish. Add 1/2 cup water, cover tightly with foil and bake for 1 hour or until beets are tender when pierced with a fork. Remove from pan and cool. Once cooled, remove skin and cut beets into quarters or eighths depending on their size.
Snap tough ends off asparagus. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the lower portion of the stalks. Cut into 3-inch lengths. Cook in boiling water until just tender about 3 minutes; asparagus should turn bright green. Drain, run under cold water and drain again. Pat dry with paper towels.
In a small bowl, whisk together shallots, vinegar, honey, salt and pepper. Gradually whisk in olive oil. In a bowl toss the beets with half of the dressing. In a separate bowl toss the asparagus with remaining dressing. Arrange beets and asparagus on 4 plates and serve.
Serves: 4-6