‘At birth we are red-faced, round, intense, pure. The crimson fire of universal consciousness burns in us. Gradually, however, we are devoured by our parents, gulped by schools, chewed up by peers, swallowed by social institutions, wolfed by bad habits, and gnawed by age; and by that time we have been digested, cow style, in those six stomachs, we emerge a single disgusting shade of brown. The lesson of the beet, then, is this: hold on to your divine blush, your innate rosy magic, or end up brown. Once you’re brown, you’ll find that you’re blue. As blue as indigo. And you know what that means, Indigo. Indigoing. Indigone.’ Tom Robbins
There are many quotes about Beets. Many are from plays based in ancient Rome, where the Beetroot was considered an aphrodisiac. The quote above is a little less explicit in nature and speaks more to the circle of life and within that to the topic of transformation. There are many experiences that make up our journey of transformation and whilst we are in those experiences, we often feel anxious or upset. However, when looked at in hindsight they can often be the pivotal moment which moved us forward and onto better things.
This dish is certainly a transformation of the humble beet, from raw root vegetable to something luxurious and delicious.
The combination of the capers, onions, pickled cucumbers and tamari, provides a depth and complexity, for which Mr. B exclaimed matched that of the traditional beef tartar.
Personally, I am a fan of the beet in all its forms, due to the health benefits and liver strengthening qualities, which gives me an excuse to have another glass of wine.
Ingredients
- 2 Large red beet
- 70g Pickled cucumber
- 20g Green onion, green part only
- 2 Tbsp. capers
- 2 Flat leaf parsley sprigs (leaves only)
- 18g Tamari (I used smoked Tamari – contact me for recipe)
- ½ tsp. Salt
- ½. tsp. Pepper
Method
- Rinse the beets well and place in a roasting pan. Add water to fill the pan about half an inch. Season the beets with salt and wrap the pan tightly with aluminum foil.
- Roast at 400F/204C until tender, between 30–45 minutes to one hour depending on their size.
- Once they are cool enough to handle, use a clean kitchen towel to rub the peel off of the beets.
- Brunoise (chop into small squares) the cooked beet. Mince the cucumber, onion and parsley separately, reserving some cucumber for garnish and presentation, and fold together with the beets and capers. Mix in the tamari, salt and pepper and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for a minimum of 30 minutes.
- Serve with crackers
Pickles
- 2 Cucumbers, medium
- 300g Water
- 200g White wine vinegar
- 100g Cane sugar
- 2 Sprigs Dill, fresh
- 2 Flat leaf parsley sprigs (stems only)
- 1Tb Mustard seeds
- 1Tb Fennel seeds
- 30g Salt
Method
- Slice the cucumbers 2-centimeters thick on a mandolin. Place the sliced cucumber and parsley in a clean, glass jar.
- Bring liquid ingredients, sugar, spices and salt to a boil. Pour the hot liquid over the cucumbers and let it come to room temperature. Once cooled, chill in the refrigerator.
- For best flavor, allow to marinate for 1 hour before using. This can be left to pickle up to 3 months in the refrigerator as it will build a deeper pickle flavor profile.
Attribution: Both the beet and the pickle recipe are from the Food Future Institute, Online Culinary School
