I grew up in a family that loves salad. My mom doesn’t consider a meal a meal without some leafy greens on the plate, and my dad’s reputation for Caesar means he’s whisking lemon juice and Worcestershire whenever friends come over. So for years, regardless of the season, I served salad with dinner. Green salad with carrots, cucumbers and homemade croutons. Endive with blue cheese and walnuts. And yes, my dad’s garlicky Caesar.

Then I read about the Environmental Working Group’s so-called Dirty Dozen. If you haven’t seen it, the EWG studied pesticide residue on 43 fruits and vegetables from 2000 to 2005 and issued a report on the Top 12 most contaminated offenders. Lettuce is on the list, as are salad goodies like celery and bell peppers. Coupled with the fact that my family is trying to eat locally (where I live, lettuce isn’t in yet), you can safely assume that our consumption of lettuce has dropped way off.

To compensate, I’ve been serving other kinds of salads, especially ones involving vegetables from my winter share. Not all endeavors have been successful. One thumbs-down involved celery root I’d painstakingly shaved by hand while the little ones were napping. A grated carrot salad tossed with lemon juice, olive oil and raisins was somewhat of a hit, but the standout has been Beets with Orange Slices and Citrus Vinaigrette.

The citrus (whether tangerine or plain old naval) offsets the natural sweetness of the beets, and the extra virgin olive oil gives them a slick of richness they deserve. Just as important, the color contrast between the bright oranges and the jewel-toned beets makes for some stunning eye candy. Click here for the recipe for Beets with Orange Slices and Citrus Vinaigrette.