Beet, apple & apricot salad

This recipe is a little of Autumn with the earthy beets and tangy apples and a little of Summer with the sweet apricots, perfect for this time of bridging the two seasons when one day can be hot and sunny and the next cold and dark. We had this salad with some roast pork, (of course), but it could easily hold it's own for a lunch.

Recipe : Beet, apple and apricot salad

2 beets, 1 peeled and chopped into chunks and 1 peeled and very finely sliced into slivers

1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and finely sliced

2 apricots, peeled and chopped into thin slices

a handful of seasonal mixed greens

Dressing:

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1/4 tsp agave syrup or honey

1/4 tsp mustard

a little salt and pepper

First, bring a pot of water to the boil over medium heat and add the chunked beet. Cover and let cook until the beet is soft enough to be pierced with a knife, about 30 minutes or so. Drain well and let cool. Place the apple slices, beet slivers, apricots and greens in a large bowl and add the beet chunks when cool. Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl and taste to ensure you have a balance you like, then pour over the beets and other ingredients. Mix well and serve.