Since the beets are only in boiling water until the skins slip off, this is essentially a raw beet salad-a trick that we picked up at a hotel in Santa Margherita Ligure on the Italian Riviera. There, the salad was made with lots of fresh tarragon from the extensive kitchen herb garden grown by the chef.

At this time of year, my French tarragon is still dormant so I substituted fresh dill with excellent results. Using either herb, the dressing is a refreshing combination made from yogurt. Think of this salad when you're serving roasted or grilled chicken or fish.

1	pound (480 g) fresh raw beets, scrubbed with tops removed

2	cups (216 g) salad greens such as Boston lettuce, mâche, curly endive, etc., torn into bite-size pieces

1/2	cup (114 g) plain nonfat yogurt

2	tablespoons (30 ml) chopped fresh dill

1	tablespoon red wine vinegar

2	teaspoons (8 g) sugar

1/4	teaspoon (1.25 ml) salt

1/4	teaspoon (1.25 ml) freshly ground pepper

2	tablespoons (16 g) chopped walnut pieces

1. Cover the beets with boiling water; let stand for 2 minutes. Drain and rinse with running cool water. Peel and coarsely grate the beets.
2. Divide the salad greens among 4 salad plates. Arrange grated beets on top of greens.
3. In a small bowl, combine yogurt, dill, vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper. Drizzle the mixture over the salads and sprinkle with some of the walnuts. Serve at once.