This is a nice fall recipe with the roasted beets. Hopefully, we'd have some from our gardens, and to tell you the truth I don't know if they are sold in the grocery store this time of year. But this vinaigrette is probably as good without it, as long as you call it something else. I'm wondering if you could get close to the same thing by roasting some large carrots and dicing them.

3 medium beets, scrubbed and trimmed

Wrap each beet in foil, place on a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes until crisp-tender. Cool. Slip off the skins and dice.

1/4 cup dark raisins
1/2 cup cider vinegar, boiling
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons diced roasted beets
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup toasted walnut or vegetable oil

Place the raisins in a heatproof bowl and pour the boiling vinegar over them. Let stand 30 minutes or until the raisins are plump and liquid is cool. Transfer to a food processor. Process until the raisins form a dark paste. Add honey, 2 tablespoons of diced beets, mustard and salt; continue processing. Gradually add the oil. Transfer to a bottle or bowl and refrigerate, covered. Return to room temperature and shake well before using. Makes enough for three salads, will keep in the refrigerator for up to a month.

Salad:
1 pound spring lettuce mix
1 head romaine, separated into leaves and sliced into 1 1/2 inch strips
3 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup toasted walnut pieces, chopped
3 oz blue cheese, crumbled
1 crisp tart apple, unpeeled, diced
Remaining roasted beets, diced

Combine the lettuces with the green onions. Add the rest of the chopped ingredients and drizzle the dressing over.