Salt-Crusted Beets With Avocado, Lavender, And Thyme

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   Preheat oven to 425u00b0. In a large bowl, combine egg whites, 3 lbs. salt, 1/3 cup thyme, 1/4 cup lavender, peppercorns, and 1/2 cup water, mixing with your hands until salt is evenly coated and feels like wet sand.

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   Spoon enough of the salt mixture into a 9- by 13-in. baking pan to make a 1/4-in. layer in pan. Arrange beets on top without letting them touch. Mound remaining salt over each beet, pressing with hands to cover completely and make a crust.

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   Bake beets until very tender when pierced through salt, about 1 1/4 hours.

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   Poke tip of a table knife into salt crust about 1 in. from a beet and tap with mallet to crack crust. Move and tap knife in 1/2-in. increments in a circle around beet. Break beet free from crust and lift out. Repeat with remaining beets. Let beets stand until cool enough to handle.

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   In a medium bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, shallot, pepper, and remaining salt, thyme, and lavender. Spoon 1 tbsp. dressing into a second bowl and 1/2 tbsp. dressing into a third bowl.

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   Brush remaining salt off beets with a pastry brush. Peel beets and cut into thin wedges. Add golden beets and avocado to largest amount of dressing. Add red beets to bowl with 1 tbsp. dressing, and mache to bowl with 1/2 tbsp. dressing. Gently mix each to coat. Divide beets, avocado, and mache among 6 salad plates.

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   Note: Nutritional analysis is per serving.

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   *Sodium content could not be accurately calculated.

* Per serving · 4 servings · Values may vary.