Beets & Carrots Salad

450 grams (1 pound) uncooked carrots
450 grams (1 pound) uncooked beetroots (get small, young ones, with smooth skin and firm flesh)
2 cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced, or 1 teaspoon garlic paste
1 tablespoon hazelnut oil (or walnut, or squash seed, or olive oil)
1 tablespoon honey vinegar (or cider or balsamic vinegar)
1 teaspoon strong Dijon mustard
Tabasco sauce or poblano pepper flakes, to taste
Smoked salt (or regular sea salt, or gomasio, or zaatar)
Freshly ground black pepper

Add in Leafy fresh herbs (cilantro, chervil, flat-leaf parsley), chopped
Toasted nuts (almonds, pine nuts, cashews, peanuts) or seeds (sesame, sunflower seeds), or better yet, my new friend the dukkah
Shaved parmesan or cubed feta cheese or crumbled blue cheese
Mâche or baby spinach leaves
A grated apple or shallot
Any dried herb, spice, or spice mix you think might work (and you know there's only one way to find out)

Trim, peel, and grate the carrots and beets. (If you own a food processor with a grater attachment, yay for you!) Place the rest of the main ingredients, from garlic to black pepper, in a large salad bowl, add the grated carrots and beets, and toss until well combined. Add any desired add-ins and toss again.
Taste, adjust the seasoning, and let stand for 30 minutes, if you can, before serving: the beets and carrots will render juices that will make the salad moister. If you don't have that kind of time and the salad does not feel quite moist enough, add a dash of citrus juice, tomato juice, or any sort of juice that may currently reside in the refrigerator door.

Serving Size: 5

Number of Servings: 5

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user JOJO_1965.