Beet salad with Feta, from William Sonoma's "Mediterranean Cooking",1997; recipes by Joyce Goldstein.

Ingredients:
  * 4 large or 8 small beets
  * 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  * 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar (or 1.4 cup fresh lemon juice)
  * 1 clove garlic, minced
  * [1/2 cup chopped fresh mint, for vinaigrette]
  * 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
  * 1 red onion, thinly sliced
  * 6-7 oz watercress or lettuce mix or spinach, washed and stemmed
  * 1 cup crumbled feta cheese

To Prepare:
  - Cut off beet greens, leaving about an inch of greens intact; (you can saute the greens for another dish).
  - Scrub the beets well under cold running water but do not break the skin. Bake in tinfoil in the oven for 30-40 minutes at 400, or until tender when pierced by a fork.[Instead you could cook the beets in water to cover in a pot on stove; bring to a boil, then turn to simmer and simmer for 15-30 minutes, till tender.]
  - Remove from heat and let cool, then peel the beets and slice or quarter them.
  - In a small bowl, whisk together the red wine vinegar, garlic, allspice. salt and pepper, then whisk in the olive oil. To soften the sharpness of the onion, let onions sit in a bowl for a few minutes with a little vinaigrette on them. 
  - Add 1/4 cup of vinaigrette to beets and toss well; serve the rest at the table as a salad dressing. Arrange the beets on top of the salad greens and top with feta cheese.