Shadow Play Beets Arugula (Printable Version)

Golden and red beets with arugula and dark accents create a visually dramatic starter.

# List of Ingredients:

→ 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, slice both golden and red beets very thinly.
02 - Layer slices of golden and red beet in a semi-overlapping pattern on a large platter, alternating colors for contrast.
03 - Fan the watermelon radish slices over the beets, then scatter baby arugula across the top.
04 - Position blackberries and black olives strategically beneath or behind the bright vegetables to form silhouette effects.
05 - Whisk together the 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 gently smear for artistic shadow effects.
08 - Top with microgreens and optionally edible flowers. Serve immediately as a sophisticated starter.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It looks like gallery art but takes barely thirty minutes from market bag to table.
  • You get to actually taste the vegetables instead of masking them in heavy sauces, which was the whole point for me.
  • Everyone stops mid-conversation when it lands on the table, and that never gets old.
02 -
  • Slice your beets right before plating or they start bleeding color into each other and you lose the clean lines that make this work.
  • The tahini needs to be room temperature or it won't smear beautifully; cold tahini fights you and looks clumsy.
03 -
  • A really sharp knife or mandoline means the difference between slices that shine and slices that look bruised; invest here.
  • Taste your dressing before you dress; this is when you fix salt, acid, and sweetness, not after it's on the plate.
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