- 1 cup rice vinegar
- 1/2 cup chopped shallots
- 10 teaspoons sugar
- 2 pounds small red beets, trimmed
- 2 large English hothouse cucumbers (about 1 pound each), halved lengthwise, seeded, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick pieces
- 2/3 cup chopped fresh chives
- Stir vinegar, shallots and 6 teaspoons sugar in small bowl to blend. Let marinade stand while preparing vegetables.
- Cook beets in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 30 minutes; drain. Peel beets. Cut into wedges. Transfer to medium bowl. Toss with 1/2 cup of marinade to coat.
- Place cucumbers in large bowl. Sprinkle 4 teaspoons sugar over. Toss with remaining marinade. Season salads to taste with salt and pepper. Cover separately and refrigerate 1 day, stirring occasionally. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Keep refrigerated.)
- Drain salads separately; return to bowls. Mix half of chives into each salad. Arrange salads on platter and serve.