Beet-n-Beef Blossom Salad

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Roasted Beet

Scrub beet, trim stalk and root, pierce with fork (3-4 times). Wrap beet in aluminum foil (place flat, stalk end, down so it will stand up), leaving finger-sized opening at top. (Suggestion, cook several beets, wrapped individually, to have on hand for later.) Place in baking dish and in oven for 45 minutes to an hour – till knife inserted into beet goes in easily. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

Pickled Cucumber

While beet(s) is in the oven, slice the cucumber as thin as possible. A mandoline will yield paper thin slices with ease. Place cucumber slices into small container with 1/4 cup sushi vinegar (enough to just cover) and 1/2 teaspoon of grated ginger and stir. Close container tightly and place into refrigerator. Optional: add some Japanese Ichimi Togarashi (seven spice seasoning) to add some zing to the pickles.

Endives

Trim off bases of endives discarding the outermost (browned) leaves and separate the remaining leaves. Wash thoroughly. In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, heat 2 cups of milk to just boiling. Add endive leaves. Simmer for 5-10 minutes till just starting to wilt. Drain and set aside to cool.

Tangerine Vinaigrette

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons tangerine juice, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 1/3 cup grapeseed oil, 1/2 teaspoon grated ginger, and fresh ground black pepper to taste.

Seared Steak

Slice Mock Chuck Steak thinly across the grain and arrange on platter or baking sheet. Lightly sprinkle steak with sea salt and fresh ground black pepper. Using kitchen torch sear one side of steak slices till medium rare. Alternative: place baking sheet under broiler to 1-2 minutes to sear. Meat can be seared to taste.

Plating

On two large square (or round) plates, arrange endive leaves in the shape of a blossom. Peel beet and thinly slice it. Arrange beet slices atop endive and place steak atop that. In the center of the blossom add a mound of pickled cucumbers. Drizzle tangerine vinaigrette (2 tablespoons or to taste) over salad and garnish with tangerine zest.

Enjoy!