Shadow Play Beet Layer (Printable)

Bright beets and bold dark flavors combine with fresh greens in an artful layered starter.

# Ingredient list:

→ 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 - ½ cup watermelon radish, thinly sliced

→ Dark Accents

05 - ½ cup blackberries
06 - ¼ 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)

# Cooking steps:

01 - Using a mandoline slicer or a sharp knife, thinly slice both the golden and red beets.
02 - Arrange golden and red beet slices on a large platter in a semi-overlapping pattern, alternating colors for visual contrast.
03 - Fan watermelon radish slices over the layered beets, then scatter baby arugula on top.
04 - Place blackberries and black olives tactically beneath or behind the bright vegetables to create silhouettes.
05 - Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper, then drizzle evenly over the assembled ingredients.
06 - Spoon dollops of black tahini around the plate and use the back of a spoon to smear gently, forming artistic shadows.
07 - Top with microgreens and optionally edible flowers to enhance depth and color contrast.
08 - Present immediately as a sophisticated starter or light salad.

# Expert advice:

01 -
  • It's the kind of dish that makes people pause before eating, which honestly feels like a small victory in the kitchen.
  • The play between earthy beets, tart arugula, and creamy tahini creates layers of flavor that sneak up on you with every bite.
02 -
  • Slice your vegetables just before plating because beets especially start weeping and losing their color if they sit around too long after cutting.
  • The tahini should be at room temperature so it spreads smoothly; cold tahini becomes stubborn and chunky, which ruins the intentional smearing effect.
03 -
  • If you want to make this ahead, slice your beets and keep them separately with a bit of lemon juice to prevent oxidation, then assemble just before serving.
  • A crisp white wine or light red will make this shine; the acidity echoes the lemon in the dressing and the slight tannins complement the earthiness of the beets.
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