Can’t Beet It

This is one of the dishes created by Compass Group chefs for the company's Stop Food Waste Day celebration on April 27 for Earth Day. The full gallery is here 

 

Ingredients

• 3 lbs beets with greens attached
• 1 lb salsify
• 3 lbs maitake mushrooms or any other mushrooms available
• 6 cloves garlic
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 1 teaspoon cumin ground
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• 1 can coconut milk
• 2 cups apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoon mustard seeds, toasted
• 1 cup olive oil
• Salt to taste
• Fresh ground black pepper to taste

Method

Mushroom

• Chop cilantro, leaves and stems. Sauté for 1 to 2 minutes and put in a blender with ½ cup of olive oil, ¼ cup red wine vinegar, 3 garlic cloves, 1 tsp cumin, season with salt and pepper, blend till smooth. Reserve some for plating.

• Marinate the mushrooms in the cilantro sauce for 1 hour or overnight, and roast in 400°F oven for 15 minutes.

Salsify

• Wash well and scrub the skin. Thinly slice the ½ lb with a mandolin or knife and deep fry or dehydrate to make chips.
• Cut ½ lb in 1 inch pieces, toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast in 400°F oven for 15 minutes.

Beets

• Cut the beet greens, separate leaves from stems and reserve. Wash and scrub the beets.

• Season with salt, pepper, garlic, any herb you have. Roast in 400°F oven for 1-2 hours until tender, reserve.
• Sauté the leaves in olive oil with garlic, salt and pepper, reserve.
• Chop the stems and cook them in coconut milk until tender, season with salt and pepper and puree in a blender.

Assembly

• Cut the beets in chunks, plate with the roasted salsify over some of the stems sauce and add some toasted mustard seeds, garnish with the salsify chip.
• Make a mound of the sautéed greens on the bottom of the plate, add the roasted mushrooms, and add some cilantro sauce.