Autumn beet and vegetable salad with cheese and nuts

Dressing:

• 1/3 cup minced onions
• 5 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 3-4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or parsley
• 11/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Salad:

• 2 cups cooked, diced yellow or red beets
• 1 1/2 cups blanched, diced carrots
• 1 1/2 cups cooked, diced waxy-type potatoes
• 1 cup diced roasted red peppers
• 1 1/2 cups diced Jonathan apples
• 4-6 ounces cheese, crumbled
• 2/3 cup nuts, toasted 6-8 minutes at 350 degrees

Make dressing: Combine onions, vinegar, basil or parsley, and mustard. Whisk in olive oil in a thin stream. Season with salt and pepper.

To assemble the salad, toss each type of vegetable and the apples, one type at a time, with enough dressing to barely coat them. Arrange in separate piles in a wide, shallow bowl. Serve at room temperature.

Just before serving, sprinkle salad with cheese and nuts, add more salt and pepper to taste, and toss gently. The original recipe calls for blue cheese and hickory nuts, but other nuts and cheeses can be used according to your preference. Makes 8-12 servings. Recipe from MACSAC