Ingredients

• 4  medium beets (about 1 pound) or one 16-ounce can thin beet strips, rinsed and drained
• 8  baby beets
• 1/3  of a 16-ounce loaf sourdough bread, cut into 3/4-inch slices
• 2  tablespoons butter (no substitutes)
• 2  cloves garlic, minced
•   Salt (optional)
• 8  cups mesclun greens (dandelion leaves, arugula, baby lettuces, chervil, watercress, wild chicory, and/or radicchio)
• 1/2  cup bottled red wine vinaigrette

Directions

1. Wash and trim fresh beets.

2. Cook medium fresh beets, covered, in a medium saucepan in boiling water for 20 minutes. Add baby beets and cook 20 minutes more or until all beets are tender. Drain; cool slightly. Slip skins off beets. Quarter the medium beets; set aside.

3. For croutons, preheat oven to 300 degree F. Tear bread slices into pieces (you should have about 4 cups).

4. Melt butter in a large skillet. Remove from heat; stir in garlic and, if desired, salt. Add the bread pieces, stirring until coated with butter mixture.

5. Arrange croutons in a single layer in a shallow baking pan. Bake, uncovered, for 10 minutes; turn croutons over. Bake 5 to 8 minutes more or until croutons are crisp. Cool completely.

6. Arrange greens and beets on eight individual salad plates. Top with croutons and drizzle with vinaigrette. Makes 8 servings.