In spite of this being putzy to make and the directions convoluted, in the end it was soooo worth it. This is truly an exceptional and elegant salad. Be careful NOT to toast pistachios that are already roasted and salted. Fresh beets were a dollar each and time-consuming to roast – I was tempted to just use the canned variety and I’m so glad I exercised the patience not to, ultimately deciding to roast them as directed. This is not an inexpensive salad to make – the beets, baby arugula, Belgian endive, pistachios and Parmigiano-Reggiano are high quality ingredients that reflect the cost they command. But what a treat! Fresh, crisp, light flavors, lots of texture and crunch, and sophisticated presentation. The dressing was perfect for this, a light and fitting partner that took a supporting role by dressing the salad up rather than overshadowing it. I did adjust the oil and vinegar to the 3:1 ratio I prefer. I did not include the sugar. I also added a clove of minced garlic. Scaling the measurements for the dressing down to ONE serving was enough for three salads with enough left over for another meal.

This was very good. I made it with raw, grated beets, and I used hazelnuts and almonds instead of pistachios. The dressing is a lot, though--I used less olive oil (1 cup) and only used about 3/4 of the dressing on the salad (but now I have a nice dressing to use on green salads!). Also, I sliced the endive heads into rounds and mixed them in with the salad. Next time, I'll add even more endive, because it gave the dish a great texture.

The dressing is the perfect balance of salty and tangy!