Makes 4 large servings This composed salad is prettiest when you use beets of different colors. Mixed red, yellow, and striped chioga beets make an especially beautiful plate. To keep colors distinct, keep different colored beets separate when you are mixing them with oil (divide oil proportionately among smaller bowls), and roast them in separate pans.

Preheat oven to 450ºF. Mix vegetables with oil, keeping different colored beets separate, as noted above. Spread vegetables in one layer on one large or several smaller nonstick baking sheets (depending on whether or not you use several colors of beets). Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roast about 25 minutes, stirring once about halfway through. Arrange spinach in a large salad bowl. Top with roasted vegetables, keeping colors separate or mixing them, as desired. In a small bowl, combine buttermilk, lemon juice, honey, thyme, salt, and pepper, and whisk well. Drizzle dressing over top of salad or serve alongside. Garnish with fresh thyme, if desired.

LACTO PER SERVING: 308 CAL (13% from fat), 9g PROT, 5g FAT, 63g CARB, 348 mg SOD. 1mg CHOL. 10g FIBER By "Karen C. Greenlee" <greenlee@bellsouth.net> on Mar 13, 1999. Recipe by: Veggie Life Magazine, November 1998, page 21 Converted by MM_Buster v2.0l.