Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Remove all but 1/2-inch of the stems and greens. Save these for another use (please!). Put the beets into a baking dish or shallow bowl just large enough to hold them. Add 1/4-inch water. Cover tightly with foil and bake about 50 minutes, until a knife tip can easily pierce the beets. When cool enough to handle, peel the beets by rubbing their skins off with your thumbs.

To make the vinaigrette: Whisk together olive oil, vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste in a small bowl. Set aside.

Cut a slice off the top and bottom of each orange. Working with 1 orange at a time, set the fruit on a cutting board, one cut side down. Using a chef's knife, slice away the peel from top to bottom following the curve of the fruit, removing all the white pith, but leaving as much flesh as possible. Slice the orange thinly crosswise. Repeat with the remaining oranges.

To assemble the salad, alternate slices of beet and orange on a platter or serving plate. Scatter the onion on top. Whisk the dressing briefly and spoon it over the salad. Sprinkle with mint, give it a good grind of black pepper and serve.