Shredded beet salad

I've spent the past week travelling in Colombia and, like any decent vacation, a main highlight of my travels was sampling the local fare. I delighted in giant platefuls of roasted meat combined with all the best starches - yuca, plantain, corn, and of course potatoes. I sampled chicharrón, otherwise known as the Spanish pork rind. I was also thrilled to learn that Colombians have mastered the art of making gelato (I triple checked this fact to be sure this wasn't a fluke). After a week of enjoying all of this, combined with the usual vacation diet of cocktails and wine, I was in the mood for something fresh, light, and nutritionally dense. Enter the beet.

Beets are low in calories and high in fibre, vitamin C, folate, and something called Glycine betaine that is great for your heart. They're also delicious (mom, you were right, I did learn to love beets). If you don't like beets, try eating them raw. They're sweet, crisp, and refreshing. I strongly suggest using a food processor to grate them as grating them by hand may result in a hot pink kitchen disaster.

2 large beets, peeled and grated
juice of 1 orange (about 3 tablespoons)
juice of 1/2 lemon (about 1 tablespoon)
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/2 tablespoon walnut oil
salt and pepper
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Combine the juices, spices, oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper in a salad bowl and whisk together. Add the grated beets and walnuts and gently toss to coat. If you want to get fancy, garnish with a sprig of watercress or mache and serve.