Salad:
1 bunch chiogga beets, cut into wedges or thick slices
1 Granny Smith apples, sliced thinly
1/2 bulb of fennel, sliced thinly into rings + fronds for garnish
Vinaigrette:
3 T pure maple syrup
3 T apple cider vinegar
1/3-1/2 c extra virgin olive oil (or other preferred oil for salads)
Kosher salt, to taste

1. Remove beet tops and discard. Wash whole beets under warm water. Pat dry and combine with a little oil (I used canola) and salt in a foil packet.
2. Seal the packet and roast on a sheet pan in a 425F oven for 20-40 minutes. A knife or fork inserted in the center should pierce the beet with little resistance and come out without lifting the beet with it. (Mine were small, walnut-sized beets so they only took 20 minutes but very large ones can take 45-60 minutes.)
3. Once done, remove the beets from the oven and allow to cool a few minutes. Then using a clean dish towel (be wary of stains) or paper towel, rub the skin off the beets and rinse them.
4. Cut beets, fennel and apple as desired.
5. To make the vinaigrette, whisk the syrup and vinegar together; the drizzle in the oil while continuing to whisk. Salt to taste and immediately dress fennel and apple to prevent discoloration.

You can serve it as a composed salad by cutting all the components to approximately the same sizes and dressing the whole thing within an hour or two of serving. Or you can play around with special plating like I did. I had just made Alice Waters' Gingersnap Recipe (I highly recommend it and it's just an internet search away.) so I used crumbs from those to add contrasting color and texture to the plate. They aren't overtly sweet so I figured I could get away with just a little. While this isn't your mama's cesaer or grandma's chopped salad, I loved it! And I'm not a huge salad person either. Also, I think a little goat's cheese (from Hillsborough Cheese Co) wouldn't hurt. I just didn't think to order any this week.

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