Ingredients:

4 medium-size beets, gold, red, white, chioggia, or a mixture
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt to taste
Dressing:
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped dill
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 cups purslane (or watercress if purslane is unavailable)

RECIPE

Mixed Beet Salad with Buttermilk–Dill Dressing

Bill Telepan

Telepan/NYC

In this instance, less certainly is more. To do this simple, elegant salad justice, you’ll want to start with excellent ingredients. When Telepan served it at the Beard House, it proved an ideal pick-me-up for a hot summer day.

Yield: 4 servings

Method:

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Place beets in a pan with 1/2 inch of water. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Cover with foil and roast in the oven until tender, about 35 to 45 minutes. Remove from oven. When the beets are cool, peel, slice thickly, and reserve.

Combine buttermilk, lemon juice, and chopped dill. Season with salt and pepper.

Arrange the beet slices attractively on four salad plates. Spoon some buttermilk dressing over each plate, and drizzle with oil. Dress purslane or watercress with remaining oil. Divide greens among plates.