Roasted Beet Salad/Red Wine Shallot Vinaigrette

This was I salad I used to make at a restaurant I worked at in Red Wing, MN. It it really a beautiful presentation and would probably be well-suited for a woman's get-together. I think next time I will probably at least double the beets (I just love beets) and their sweetness nicely balances out the saltiness of the olives and capers. For the two of us, I just used two roasted (small-ish) beets, I'll definitely up that to at least two large beets, or four small ones. Serve simply with some nice artisan bread. This recipe makes two large main salads.

VINAIGRETTE:

3 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp minced shallots
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt

SALAD:

Freshly roasted beets (I wrap each one of mine in aluminum foil, like you might a potato, and roast at about 450 for 45-60 minutes, until a knife comes out easily, skin when cooled and thinly slice)
1/2 bag Spring Mix
1 romaine heart, chopped
Ricotta cheese
Italian Seasoning
Kalamata olives (I prefer oil-cured), pitted
Capers
Marinated red peppers

Blend together all vinaigrette ingredients.

Mix Italian Seasoning to taste into the ricotta cheese.

Toss salad greens with some vinaigrette, add a spoonful of ricotta mixture (I used about a quarter/cup) and mix in. Use your (clean) hands for even coverage.

Put a thin layer of dressed greens in the center of a salad plate. Top with 4 thinly sliced beets, another layer of greens, another layer of beets, building as high as you'd like, ending with sliced beets. Surround with 5 olives, put 5 red pepper strips up the sides and sprinkle about a Tablespoon of capers over the top.