California avocado and roasted beet salad with navel oranges and olive tapenade

Ingredients

Avocado puree
2 California avocados
4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Juice from 1 lemon
Kosher salt, to taste

Olive tapenade
1 cup mixed, pitted olives
2 to 3 tbsp. orange zest (zest from an average-sized orange)
4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, finely minced

California avocado and roasted beet salad
3 California avocados
6 baby beets, roasted until fork-tender, peeled and cut into quarters
2 navel oranges, peeled and segments removed
Extra virgin olive oil, for finishing

Directions

For puree: Peel, halve and pit avocados, then cut into quarters and place in the bowl of a food processor. Turn machine on and puree while adding olive oil slowly. Season with lemon juice and salt. Once puree is smooth, place in a narrow vessel so there isn't a lot of surface area to oxidize. 

For tapenade: Place all ingredients in a food processor and process until olives are almost minced. (Recipe requires 2 tbsp. tapenade; extra can be used as a sandwich spread.)

To assemble: Peel, halve and pit avocados, then cut into 1/4-inch slices. Smooth about 1/4 cup avocado puree on the base of each plate and place beets on puree. Arrange avocado slices and orange segments on and around beets. Drizzle some olive oil around and garnish with a few teaspoons of olive tapenade. You can also use arugula or mustard flowers as an additional garnish, if you like.

Serves 4