Beets And Green Beans In Walnut Vinaigrette

Beets: Scrub beets, leaving tails and 1 inch of stem attached. Roast beets in 13- by 9-inch glass baking dish with 1/4 inch water, covered with foil, at 400 degrees F until tender, about 40 minutes. Rinse beets under running water to remove peel. Cut in quarters. Set aside.

Mix Sherry vinegar, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper to taste in bowl large enough to hold beets. Add walnut oil and olive oil and mix well. Add beets to dressing while still warm and mix to coat well. Taste and adjust seasonings. Beets may be made 1 day before.

Green Beans: Combine olive oil, walnut oil and shallots in small bowl and let stand at least 1 hour. Whisk together vinegar and salt in another small bowl and set aside.

Snip off ends of green beans and discard. Blanch beans in boiling salted water until crisp-tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain and immediately plunge beans into ice water to stop cooking process and preserve color, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain well and wrap in towel until ready to serve. Toast walnuts at 400 degrees F until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Coarsely chop.

Combine shallot and vinegar mixtures and toss with green beans just before serving. Mound marinated beets in center of serving platter and surround with beans. Sprinkle with walnuts.