Beet salads have become popular at Boston restaurants—even among diners who hated eating beets as children. The secret is oven-roasting the beets to bring out their natural, earthy sweetness. An assertive blue cheese or goat cheese stands up well to them. My version of beet salad uses two colors of beets for eye appeal and adds Granny Smith apple slices for a hint of sweetness. Honeylaced dressing made with fruit-flavored vinegar ties everything together.

Ingredients:

Fruity Vinaigrette:
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fig vinegar (see note)
1 tablespoon raspberry vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
2 cloves garlic, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Salad:
1 bunch (3 or 4) yellow beets, washed and stems trimmed
1 bunch (3 or 4) red beets, washed and stems trimmed
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt, to taste
2 pounds fresh baby spinach
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Fruity vinaigrette (from recipe)
3 Granny Smith apples, sliced
1/2 pound Gorgonzola cheese

Directions:

For the fruity vinaigrette: In a small bowl whisk together the olive oil, fig and raspberry vinegars, honey, garlic, salt, and pepper. Set aside. Whisk again right before using. Refrigerate leftovers.

To make the salad: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place the yellow and red beets on top of two sheets of aluminum foil. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt.

Loosely wrap the beets with the foil and scrunch the top to make a package. Place in a roasting pan and bake for 50 minutes. Remove from oven and peel the beets under cold, running water, rubbing the skin off (wear an apron and rubber gloves to avoid stains). Cut the beets into wedges and set aside.

Wash and dry the spinach. Arrange on a large platter. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle some of the fruity vinaigrette over the spinach and toss gently. Place the apple slices on top of the spinach. Arrange the beets around the salad. Drizzle with more of the fruity vinaigrette over the apples and beets. Crumble the cheese on top and serve immediately.

Makes 6 servings. Raspberry vinegar may be substituted for the fig vinegar. In that case, you’d use 5 tablespoons of raspberry vinegar.