Preheat oven to 250°F.

Peel the beetroots and quarter them (cut larger beets into 6 pieces). Put the wedges in an ovenproof dish deep enough to fit all the beets snugly. Add the salt, thyme, chili and garlic cloves. Pour in olive oil, as much as needed to cover the beets (they should be just under). Cover with foil and place in the preheated oven. Check after 1 hour: The wedges should be soft and tender when pricked with a fork. If not, add 15–30 minutes.

Remove the beets from the oil. (Keep the olive oil: It is infused and delicious to use as a finishing oil in tomato sauces, for instance.) Prepare a sheet pan with parchment paper. Heat 4 tablespoons candied orange syrup in a frying pan over medium-high heat. When it is hot and bubbling, add the pecans. Toss them in the syrup until coated and caramelized. Take off heat, and spread out on the sheet pan.

Assemble the salad:

Pull the leaves from the radicchio, wash and dry well. Tear larger leaves into smaller pieces. Put into a bowl. Add infused olive oil, orange syrup and lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. Toss to coat and arrange on a platter, or individual plates. In the same bowl, add the beet wedges, pecans, feta and candied orange. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Arrange on top of the radicchio. Serve!