- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 shallot
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
- ¾ teaspoon cumin seed, toasted and ground
- ¼ teaspoon coriander, toasted and ground
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup chopped fresh tarragon
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 cup extra virgin live oil
- 6 red beets, about 8 ounces each
Finely chop the garlic and shallot in a blender. Add the lemon juice, cumin, coriander, turmeric, tarragon, salt, pepper and honey. Process until well blended. With the motor running, start adding the olive oil very slowly. To keep the mixture from breaking add the oil slowly at first and wait until it is fully incorporated before adding more. This process is similar to making mayonnaise.) Once all the oil is incorporated, set the dressing side.
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Peel the beets and cut into ¼ to ½ inch slices, then into cubes. Add to the boiling water and cook for 10 minutes, or until beets are just tender. Drain and plunge into ice water to stop the cooking. Drain well.
Transfer the beets to a bowl add the dressing and toss gently.
The beets may be served immediately, but the best flavor is obtained by letting them marinate covered for up to 24 hours. Refrigerate the beets if you plan to marinate them longer than 1 hour.
Serves 6