Beet and plum salad with chard-stem crunch and toasted hazelnuts

Earthy roasted beets against ripe plums and a sharp little pickle of chard stem is the kind of contrast Judy will actually want to think about while eating.

⏱ 1 hr 15 min · medium · 🍽 serves 4

Ingredients

• 4 medium beets, mixed colours if you have them
• 1 large bunch chard, stems and leaves separated
• 4 ripe plums, stoned and sliced into wedges
• 3/4 cup hazelnuts
• 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp sea salt, plus more to taste
• black pepper

Steps

1. Heat the oven to 400°F. Wrap each beet loosely in foil, set on the sheet pan, roast 45–60 min until a knife slides in with no resistance. Cool enough to handle, then rub the skins off and slice into wedges.
2. While the beets roast, slice the chard stems thin on the diagonal. Toss in a bowl with the apple cider vinegar and a pinch of salt, and leave to quick-pickle at room temperature — they should still have real bite when you use them.
3. Toast the hazelnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat, shaking often, 5–6 min until fragrant and the skins are cracking. Tip onto a board, rub the skins off in a tea towel, roughly chop.
4. In the same skillet, wilt the chard leaves over medium heat with a splash of olive oil, 2–3 min, just until collapsed. Set aside.
5. Whisk the lemon juice, remaining olive oil, 1 tsp salt and a good grind of pepper in a small bowl — this is the dressing.
6. Drain the pickled chard stems. On a platter, layer the wilted chard leaves, then the beets and plum wedges, scatter the pickled stems and hazelnuts over the top, and spoon the dressing over everything just before serving.