2 small red onions, thinly sliced into rounds

White wine vinegar

8-12 small beets, golden and/or Chioggia, including the greens

Olive oil

Sea salt

Marjoram pesto

1 small slice country bread, crust removed

2 tablespoons aged red wine vinegar

1 clove garlic

Sea salt the fresh pepper

¼ cup marjoram leaves

3 tablespoons drained capers

½ cup pine nuts, divided

1 cup finely chopped parsley

2 tablespoons pitted green olives

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

Toss the onions with vinegar nearly to cover and refrigerate until needed. They will turn bright pink.

Discard the beet stems and any wilted leaves, wash the rest, and steam until tender, about 5 minutes. Set aside to drain, then chop coarsely. Toss with a little olive oil and season with salt.

Leaving an inch of the stems and the tails on the beets, steam until a knife pierces them easily, about 25 minutes. Slip off the skins. Trim the tops and tails, quarter them, and sprinkle with a little vinegar.

For the pesto: Soak bread in vinegar on a place

Pound the garlic with 1/2 teaspoon salt in a mortar until smooth, then work in the marjoram, capers, 1/4 cup pine nuts, parsley and olives until you have a coarse paste. Add the bread and olive oil and work until the pesto is well amalgamated. Season with pepper, taste for vinegar add a little more if needed.

Toast the remaining ¼ pine nuts.

Toss pesto with the beets, leaving ample streaks throughout. Place them over the greens. Remove the onions from the vinegar and strew them over the beets. Garnish with the reserved pine nuts and serve.

Serves four.

"Local Flavors" by Deborah Madison (2002 Broadway Books)