Beet tartare with shallot, capers, and dijon mustard

Beet tartare served with baguette crisps, but you can use any edible vehicle for the tartare of your choosing. 

There's something special about classic beef tartare done right. I'm kind of a sucker for tartare when I'm at a restaurant that I know has good meat and will prepare it properly. Usually, I'm with someone else and we'll share it in addition to a few salads or other things to help balance out the meal. BUT, in the interest of plant-forward innovation, I thought I'd try to replicate tartare using beets instead of beef and making the whole dish entirely from plant-based ingredients. Crazy? Maybe. 

There were some challenges with mimicking the luscious quality of the raw beef, but the combination of miso and olive oil comes pretty close and the miso has the additional bonus of providing umami flavor that you get from meat in the beef version (double score!) If you do eat meat, another great option is to make a tartare with both beef and beet (I've done a 1:1 ratio and it was very successful) to keep some of the beef flavor and texture, but still make your tartare more plant-forward. Other classic ingredients are added to this recipe such as shallots, capers, parsley, and Dijon mustard, but you can play around with these as you like! 

Traditionally, beef tartare is served with a runny egg yolk on top that is mixed in to the cubed steak before eating. You could top this with a real egg yolk and it would be delicious, but I was in an experimental mood and decided to try out making a faux egg from chickpea flour, flax, miso, water, and tumeric. The flax, chickpea, and water provide texture while the miso flavor, and the turmeric color. It's pretty fun, but, you know, not a real egg yolk. In my opinion, nothing you can make in a home kitchen comes close to an egg if you want all of the egg-like properties. Using flax and other substitutions works great for many baking or binding applications, but if you're looking for a runny egg yolk there's nothing like the real thing...eggs are just magical. However, you can serve this with or without an egg/faux egg and it's still delicious. Great appetizer for your vegan friends (or self) and can easily be gluten-free if served with GF crackers, endive, or the like. Recipe below serves 6 and can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days without diminishing (too much) in quality. 

Finely mincing beets - it's not blood, it's beet juice! Be careful, it stains.

• 2 medium beets, about 6 ounces
• 2-3 teaspoons olive oil
• 2-3 teaspoons white miso
• 1 tablespoon minced capers (I used California capers)
• 2 teaspoons minced shallot
• 2 tablespoons minced parsley
• 1 tablespoon minced chives (optional)
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• Squeeze of lemon juice or dash of red wine vinegar
• Salt and cracked black pepper, to taste
• 1 egg yolk or faux egg, for serving - recipe below (optional)
• Baguette crisps (I used this recipe), crackers, cucumber, or endive, for serving

To Prepare

1. Mince beet into fine cubes using knife and add to medium bowl.
2. Mix in 2 teaspoons olive oil, 2 teaspoons miso, capers, shallot, 1.5 tablespoons parsley, chives (optional), mustard, and squeeze of lemon. Stir in salt/pepper to taste and more olive oil and/or miso to desired flavor and texture.
3. Mound onto serving plate and top with egg yolk/faux egg yolk (optional). Sprinkle with salt and reserved parsley and serve with baguette crisps or crackers.

Beet tartare with faux egg. Not perfect, but kinda works!

Faux egg yolk - makes 1 faux egg yolk (if using for above recipe, you may want to double the below to allow for creation of a larger "yolk" if needed)

• ½ tablespoon chickpea flour
• ½ tablespoon ground flaxseed
• 1 teaspoon white miso
• 1 tablespoon water
• ¼-½ teaspoon turmeric

1.  To prepare: Whisk all ingredients except turmeric then whisk in turmeric to create desired color.

Spreading beet tartare on baguette crisps. The above is 1/2 of the recipe.

Beet and lemon zest hummus

Let's face it - hummus is an easy crowd pleaser. It's vegan, gluten-free, nut-free and dip-able, so ever since it's widespread usage in the U.S. you'll be hard pressed to find a party table absent of the chickpea-tahini spread. Variations on hummus, while not as common, are similarly appreciated and, with its bright eye-catching presence, this variation brings the party (my kind of party). The flavor is similar to classic hummus, but lighter and brighter with the beet and lemon zest. A more classic Middle Eastern take on this spread, lebna bil schwendr, includes yogurt and beet instead of chickpeas and tahini. Serve with crudités, crackers, toasted pita, or as a sandwich spread. Makes 2 cups.

• 1 large or 2 small beets, about 4 ounces, scrubbed clean

• 1 cup cooked chickpeas

• Zest of one lemon, about 1 tablespoon

• Juice of one lemons, 2-3 tablespoons

• 2 tablespoons tahini

• 1/8 teaspoon salt

• Up to 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

• 1-3 tablespoon(s) water

• Fresh ground black pepper to taste (optional)

1. Cut tops off beets and place into a small saucepan. Cover with water, bring to a boil, and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Slide skin off of beets while cooling under cold running water. Chop and add to food processor. 

2. Add chickpeas, lemon zest, lemon juice, tahini, salt, and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Blend until smooth. Drizzle in more olive oil and water until desired consistency is reached. Incorporate black pepper to taste. Hummus will keep in the refrigerator for up to one week.

There are many ways to eat this hummus!

Classic, Beety, Borscht

The dark red beetroot soup in this photo is complemented by radish flours, yogurt, and fennel fronds.

What better way to celebrate Earth Day than with the the beloved and ubiquitous beetroot soup of Eastern Europe? There are many ways to make borscht, from hot and hearty to cold and demure. Although hot borscht with chunks of beetroot and beef broth is comforting on a wintry day, this cold puréed version might be just what you're looking for as spring moves into summer and appetites are better pleased with brighter, lighter flavors. Serves 6-8.

“I’ve always been tempted to make borscht using golden beets, but as they tend to oxidize and turn black more easily, it always makes me nervous - if you ever do it, let me know! ”

• 1 pound red beets (about 3 medium), scrubbed cleaned

• 1 medium onion (about 1 cup), chopped

• 1.5-2.5 cups chicken broth (if not homemade, then low sodium)

• About 1 teaspoon salt

• Juice from 1/2 lemon

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 1 cup yogurt or sour cream

• Chopped dill or fennel fronds, for garnish

• Radish flowers, for garnish (optional)

The beet moves on.

Steam beets in a medium-large pot over about 2 inches of simmering water (about 2.5 cups). Cook beets for 20 minutes, add onions to water simmering below beets, and continue cooking until beets are tender when pierced with a fork, about another 5 minutes. Turn off heat and let sit until beets are cool enough to touch.

Peel beets by sliding off skin under cold running water, dice, and add to the oniony water. Add 1.5 cups chicken broth and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Blend soup with an immersion blender until smooth, adding more broth and salt as needed. Blend in lemon juice once desired texture has been reached.

Allow soup to come to room temperature then chill for at least 2 hours or overnight. Serve with black pepper, a dollop of yogurt or sour cream, and fennel fronds. 

Borscht is great paired with avocado rye toast dusted with smoked paprika.

Fermented Beetroot-Apple Relish with Star Anise and Cloves

Salt fermentation is one of the greatest things out there. By adding salt, you keep out the bad microbes and foster an environment to the good microbes to "do their thing". Namely, to eat up the sugar and proteins and create new, delicious flavors and textures. 

Additionally fermented foods, such as this relish, contain probiotics to help you digest almost anything. Fermenting foods at home can be intimidating, but once you get the hang of it, you can let the microbes do the work for you! Relish is great paired with sausage, smoked fish, potatoes, or on a cheese plate. Makes 16 ounces.

• 1 large red beet

• 1 large apple

• 1 whole star anise

• 3 whole cloves

• 1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more if needed

Sterilize one wide-mouthed 16-ounce mason jar by washing with soapy water, rinsing, and then submerging in boiling water for 15 minutes. Remove from water and set aside to air dry.

Peel and shred beet and apple using cheese grater and toss with star anise and cloves. Incorporate salt by sprinkling in 1/4 teaspoon at a time and stirring.

Scoop shreds into mason jar and mash with a wooden spoon to release their juices. The shreds should be entirely submerged, as the salty water from the beet and apple mixture will keep oxygen and bad bacteria out. If they are not, then create a brine by dissolving 1 teaspoon sea salt in 1 cup filtered water and pour this over the shreds until they are completely covered.  

Cover with cheese cloth or clean towel and ferment at room temperature for 3-4 days or longer, depending on your desired level of sourness. The longer you let the relish ferment, the more sour it will become.

Once relish is the level of sourness that you desire, cover and refrigerate. Use within 6 weeks. Relish can also be processed in a blender or food processor if you desire a pastier texture.