Beet salad with honey-lavender dressing

• Beets
  • 6 medium beets (2 1/4 pounds total), preferably a mix of yellow and red 
  • Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling 
  • Coarse salt
• Dressing
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 
  • 2 medium shallots, thinly sliced (1 cup) 
  • 1/3 cup honey 
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh lavender leaves 
  • 1 large egg yolk 
  • 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar 
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 
  • 1 cup safflower oil
• Salad
  • 2 bunches baby chard or 1 bunch Swiss chard (about 1 pound), stems removed, leaves torn into 1-inch pieces 
  • 1/2 cup pecans (2 ounces), toasted and salted 
  • 8 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled 
  • 2 baby Chioggia beets, scrubbed and thinly sliced

Beets: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drizzle medium beets with olive oil in a baking pan; season with salt. Place in a single layer and add 1 cup water. Cover with parchment, then foil, and roast until knife-tender, about 1 1/2 hours. When cool enough to handle, rub off peels with paper towels (use a paring knife for tough spots); discard. Cut beets into bite-size pieces.

Dressing: Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a medium saute pan over low. Add shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add honey and lavender; simmer until lavender is fragrant, about 5 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes. Puree with yolk, vinegar, and mustard in a blender or food processor until smooth. With machine running, slowly add safflower oil until combined. (If dressing is too thick, add water, 1 teaspoon at a time.)

Salad: Combine roasted beets, chard, and pecans in a bowl. Lightly toss with 1/4 cup dressing. Place 1 tablespoon dressing on bottom of each plate, then add salad mixture and goat cheese, dividing evenly. Top with baby beets and serve, with remaining dressing on the side.

From Martha Stewart Living