I used to think that chioggia was Italian for candy-stripe; now I believe that is not true—although chioggia beets have candy-cane appearance when sliced. This salad, with the sweeter than regular beet chioggias, raw and very thinly sliced, shows off their red and white circles. You really do need a special tool, a culinary mandoline, to shave beets very thinly—unless you are very talented with a very sharp knife.
Shaved Chioggia Beets, Arugula, Peaches and Sweet and Salty Pecans
For each person at the table, prepare a decent handful of arugula, preferable with the stem removed, a half of a local peach, one or two small chioggia beets and about a tablespoon of the pecans.
Sweet and Salty Pecans
For the pecans: Pour about 2 tablespoons of maple syrup in a small skillet. Stir in 1 teaspoon of olive oil, ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ cup of chopped pecans. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the pecans are toasted, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate and allow to cool.
For the beets: Using a culinary French or Japanese mandoline, shave the beets crosswise as thin as possible.
Cut the peaches into slices about 1/3-inch thick.
In bowl, whisk 2 teaspoons of red wine vinegar and 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil together. Add a pinch or two of salt.
Just before serving, gently toss the arugula with a small amount of the dressing. In a bowl, do the same with the beets and peach slices. Arrange the arugula on plates, followed by the beets and peaches. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper and garnish with the candied pecans.
