Valentine’s Day Beet, Grapefruit and Avocado Salad on a Bed of Arugula

Heat oven to 400ºF.

Wash beets and dry thoroughly. Rub with olive oil. This will make peeling them easier. Wrap tightly in foil, put on cookie sheet and bake until soft inside. I check with a thin knife. Large beets will take about 1 hour. Let cool.

Prepare the grapefruit. Here’s an easy way to get perfect grapefruit segments: Cut off both ends of the grapefruit and set on flat surface. Use a sharp knife to cut pith completely off the fruit. Working over a bowl (to catch the juice) use the same sharp knife to cut out each segment from between the membranes.

For the dressing, toast the cumin seeds on medium heat on stove top in a small frying pan. Let cool. Use a mortar and pestle to grind the seeds. Mix lemon juice, ground cumin seeds, salt, pepper and Dijon mustard. Add the juice from the grapefruit that collects in the bowl when you cut it. Whisk in the walnut and canola oils.

When the beets are cool, use kitchen gloves to peel off the skin. This will keep your hands from turning beet red! Slice the beets into 1/2 – 3/4 inch slices and use a heart shaped cookie cutter to make the perfect Valentine’s shape. Drizzle a little of the dressing on the beets.

Now for the assembly. Place the arugula on a platter and toss with a little more of the dressing. Arrange the avocado and grapefruit, then add the star of the show: the heart-shaped beets. Pour remaining dressing over the salad. Garnish with the basil.