FINNISH BEET SALAD

Steps:

• Combine the potatoes, apples, carrots, onion, pickles, white pepper, and herring (if you're using it).
• Mix together the sour cream with the lemon juice, beet juice, salt, and sugar until well blended to make the sour cream dressing.
• Traditionally (and this is how you would want to make it for a dinner party), just before serving you would carefully add the beets- because if the beets are added too long before serving, the salad will turn a deep pink, whereas some people prefer it tinted only mildly pink; then you would turn into a salad bowl lined with crisp lettuce and serve chilled with the sour cream dressing mixture on the side.
• However, I make the salad for picnics and potlucks and so I mix it all together - not worrying about any steps in preparation - just stir it all together at once, put it in the serving container, put crumbled bacon over the top, and let it chill for at least an hour before I let anybody at it; it comes out nicely bright pink, which I find attractive and kids like.
• For Vegetarian option omit the fish and the bacon.