Personally, I’ve never been a fan of beets, I think as result of my adult aversion to sweetness, which in turn must be born of my childhood addiction to candy. Growing older, I came to scorn sweet things, as I gradually, and then rapidly (from my late teens) came to appreciate the thrilling spectrum of flavour sensations that good cooking delivers: bitter, tangy, spicy, savoury. As my palate has developed further, though, I’ve come to appreciate how the earthy sweetness of something like roasted beetroot beautifully contrasts with other flavours, such as here, with the freshness and clarity of mint, the salty tang of feta, and the mild spiciness and delicate crunch of thinly-sliced Spanish onion. Speaking as someone who once only ate canned beetroot on her burger, I can heartily recommend this salad--even to those who think they don't like beets. The recipe is Greek-inspired, but can be taken to Italy (with proscuitto) or southern Spain (cucumber). The cucumber/proscuitto variation also gives the option to keep this vegetarian, or not; both work equally well, though with cucumber the salad becomes beautifully fresh and cooling, and definitely more of a summer dish.

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