Beet and Asparagus Salad

I'll get to the cakes in a bit.  First, I need to use some beets in the Pond.  The butternut is coming up any day now, and it's going to need space.  Like, a lot of space.  Pumpkin space.  I've seen photos.

While I splurged on some good bleu cheese, I went cheap on the lettuce and got red leaf.  After months of picking it out of the front yard, I could not justify $3.50 for a small package.  The seeds didn't cost that much.  We're letting the asparagus be the "fancy" here.

*1 bunch (3) red beets
1/2 lb asparagus
4 oz salad greens of choice
*1/2 C walnuts
4 oz bleu cheese, crumbled
*1 Tb orange juice
1 Tb champagne or white wine vinegar
3 Tb olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
*1 Tb fresh chives, minced

1.  An hour before, start soaking the walnuts in water.  You don't have to, but I love this trick to make them softer and draw out some of the bitterness.

2.  Cut off the root and stem ends of the beets and place in a pot with water to cover.  Bring to a boil, then simmer until soft, about 15-20 minutes.  The skins will slide right off, and you can slice them into strips.  Chill until ready to use.

3.  Cut 2" pieces of asparagus and discard the tough ends.  Place in water to cover, bring to a boil, and blanch for 2 minutes.  I admit to liking asparagus on the mushy side.  It probably comes from eating it canned often when we were growing up.  I let mine go a bit longer before draining and refrigerating.

4.  To make the dressing, whisk together orange juice, vinegar, oil, chives, salt, and pepper.  It's ok to go a little heavy on the pepper; the bleu cheese can take it.  Refrigerate if not using within the hour.  It will settle out and get hard, so you'll have to bring it back up to room temp and whisk it again.

5.  To assemble the salad, place the greens on each plate (tear if whole-leaf).  Drain the walnuts.  Distribute beet strips, asparagus, cheese, and walnuts to all four salads.  Sprinkle with a generous tablespoon of dressing and serve.

Difficulty rating  :)