Buy beets with their greens still attached. This is how you know they are fresh. The leaves should look alive, not wilted or yellowed, not stuffed in a plastic bag gasping for air. When you find beets like this at the market, you have found something worth cooking.

Most people throw away the greens. This is a waste, and it is also a missed opportunity. Beet greens taste like a cross between chard and spinach, with a mineral sweetness that echoes the root. Sautéed quickly in good olive oil with a clove of garlic, they become tender and silky. Served alongside the roasted beets, they tell the whole story of the vegetable.

The technique here is simple because it needs to be. Roast the beets until they are tender and their sugars have concentrated. Toast the walnuts until fragrant. Make a vinaigrette with sherry vinegar and olive oil. The blue cheese is optional, but I love how its sharpness cuts through the earthiness. This is a salad that improves with thirty minutes of sitting, letting the flavors marry.