I learned to love food as a child, both from my grandmothers who were excellent cooks, as well as from my parents. We traveled a lot, and as I grew up, one of our favorite games (especially when we were home with nothing good in the house) was If I Could Eat Anywhere.

Back then, the dishes were always at restaurants far away, in other states and in other time zones. It’s a sign of progress that now when I think of what I’d like to be eating, I often think of a restaurant in my neighborhood called Tables. Last summer, I enjoyed a fantastic salad there made from golden and red beets, cheese, walnuts and honey (I believe theirs was imported from New Zealand or maybe Australia).

Now I make a more local version with the beets from my farm share, goat cheese from Colorado’s Haystack Mountain, toasted walnuts and Colorado honey. Sure, eating at home with chatty children doesn’t have quite the same atmosphere as dining at Tables, but these days, I have a lot more beets than babysitters.

Beets with Goat Cheese, Walnuts and Honey

Cook beets either by boiling them whole or by wrapping them in foil and roasting at 400 degrees for about an hour, depending on size. Cool and peel. Slice them and put on salad plates. Dot with goat cheese (plain, not flavored), sprinkle with toasted walnuts and drizzle with honey.