You know, there’s not really much to this recipe – I basically covered it on Thanksgiving – but it is so tasty (even if you aren’t a beet fan), and so simple, and just so downright pretty on a platter in the center of your table, I thought it deserved it’s own post.
Knowing that Rich’s mom loves beets, I started looking for ideas using canned, sliced beets (I had two in the back o’ the pantry from some experiment I never quite got around to). I found lots of options on the internets – from the classic Harvard Beets my mom always favored, to roasted salads with everything from feta cheese and olives to cherries and poppy seeds.
Hmmmm. What to do?
Well, if you’re me, it’s Thanksgiving – to some the Most. Important. Feast. of the Year. – so I decided to make stuff up as I 
went along (I just had to). Here’s what I came up with:
INGREDIENTS
•2 cans sliced beets, drained, rinsed and roasted (roasting instructions below)
•1/2 red onion, sliced thin (or more, as you prefer)
•Roasted pecans (roasting instructions below)
•Chopped celery
•Romaine Lettuce
•Baby spinach (optional, but it’s nice)
C’est tout!
How simple is that? Feel free to add additional ingredients as you like, but I think this made for a really nice balance of flavor, color and texture. I served mine with my new favorite spiced dressing on the side – tho’ on his second helping the next evening, Rich’s brother Gary went for the Chunky Blue Cheese and Yogurt. Note – if you allow folk to dress their own salad, they can add as much or as little as they like, and you can 
save any leftovers for the next day without major wiltage – just a thought.
Roasted Beets: drain and rinse two cans of sliced beets, then toss with coarse sea salt and bake at 350º for ten to twenty minutes – they will turn a dark magenta and smell wonderfully rich.
Roasted Pecans: I buy raw pecans, spread ‘em in a large roasting pan and pop into a 300º oven for thirty minutes – stirring every ten – just until the nuts turn a deeper brown and become aromatic. You COULD do a lot more to them, but for salad or pie, this is really all you need.