Shadow Play with Beets (Print Version)

Layered golden and red beets combined with black accents and fresh arugula for a striking starter.

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 1 medium golden beet, peeled and thinly sliced
02 - 1 medium red beet, peeled and thinly sliced
03 - 1 cup baby arugula
04 - 1/2 cup watermelon radish, thinly sliced

→ Dark Accents

05 - 1/2 cup blackberries
06 - 1/4 cup black olives, pitted and halved
07 - 2 tablespoons black tahini (or regular tahini with squid ink for color)

→ Dressing

08 - 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
09 - 1 tablespoon lemon juice
10 - 1 teaspoon honey
11 - Salt and pepper, to taste

→ Garnish

12 - Microgreens (such as purple radish or basil)
13 - Edible flowers (optional)

# How to Make It:

01 - Using a mandoline slicer or sharp knife, peel and thinly slice the golden and red beets.
02 - Arrange the beet slices on a large platter in a semi-overlapping pattern, alternating colors to create contrast.
03 - Fan the watermelon radish slices over the beets, then scatter baby arugula evenly across the arrangement.
04 - Place blackberries and black olives strategically behind or beneath the bright ingredients to achieve a silhouette effect.
05 - Whisk together extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper until emulsified.
06 - Drizzle the dressing evenly over the layered vegetables.
07 - Spoon small dollops of black tahini around the plate and use the back of a spoon to smear slightly, creating artistic shadows.
08 - Top with microgreens and optional edible flowers for depth and vibrant contrast. Serve immediately as a starter.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • It looks like gallery-worthy art but tastes like vegetables you actually want to eat.
  • Twenty minutes of work becomes a moment people still talk about weeks later.
  • Works beautifully for impressing without last-minute stress or a hot stove.
02 -
  • Slice your beets just before assembly—they oxidize and lose their brilliance if left standing too long.
  • The magic happens in the plating, not the cooking. Take your time arranging, because this is truly where the dish lives.
03 -
  • Toast your plates under warm water before plating so everything stays at the right temperature longer and the tahini doesn't shock into stiffness.
  • Keep your knife impossibly sharp for beet slicing—a dull blade will bruise them and turn the plate into a muddy mess instead of jewel tones.
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